I Love You, Daddy
by ariescelestial
Summary: The day after the personality split. Everything seems relatively fine...until Fox Face finds Anne all alone in the Graveyard.
1. The Birth of Anne

**Disclaimer:**  I don't own Shadow Hearts, but I do own the baby (mwahaha!).

**

            Alice felt drained.  Even the fight with Meta God hadn't taken this much out of her.  Her entire lower body, stomach down, felt like it had turned to gel.

            But she had a pleased smile as she looked down at the baby in her arms.  Her baby.  Alice's first child—a little baby girl.

            Yuri, on his part, looked dumbstruck.  Alice had seen this expression a few times before, but not so much as now.  "What's the matter?" she asked with a shaky laugh.  "Haven't you ever seen a baby before?"

            "She's beautiful," he breathed, finding words to express his joy.  "And so are you," he added, kissing his wife on the cheek.  At the moment, Alice had serious doubts about the latter statement—she had been sweating all over, and her hair clung to her face—but she couldn't argue with the first.  She was a beautiful baby, looking around with sleepy, puzzled eyes.

            "That's just narcissism," Margarete contended, looking the baby over.  "You're just saying that because she looks like you, Yuri."  It was true; the drooping eyes were brown, and there was a little brown fuzz on her head already.

            "I see a bit of her mother in her," Keith said.  When you looked for it, you could see a few similarities in their faces.

            Alice looked up at Yuri and held the newborn out.  "You want her?"

            Hesitantly, almost fearfully, he took the small bundle and walked around the hospital room with her.  Yuri felt a sense of awe at how light and small this new life was.  He couldn't remember having held a baby this small before.  And here she was…

            "So what are you going to name her?"

            "I'm not sure."

            "You haven't chosen a name?"

            "Well…maybe Catherine?  Or Samantha?"

            "Margarete."

            "**Now** who's being a narcissist?"

            _She doesn't look like a Catherine or Samantha_, Yuri thought as he held her.  _And definitely not a Margarete._  Along with Alice's chin—and nose, he discovered as he looked closer, something about her reminded him of his mother.  Paired with the hair and eyes, there was a bit of a resemblance.  "Anne."  The girl gave a little cry and he chuckled.  "You like it?"

            "Yuri, may I have some part in naming the child I just went through labor for?"  Alice sounded just a **bit** peevish.  Labor had not been fun.

            Yuri pouted.  "Isn't it a good name?"

            Alice frowned and then sighed.  "At least it's not one of your old girlfriends' names."

            "He was suggesting former girlfriends?" Margarete asked.

            "I think he tried all of them."

            "What a jerk!  I don't know why you married him, Alice."

            "Sometimes, I don't either."

            "Hey, that's a low blow," Yuri complained.  Both women laughed and he turned to the vampire.  "Help me out here, Keith.  Your wife's corrupting mine."

            "Oh, **I'm** corrupting her?  I think you did a good enough job of that on your own, mister."

            "I haven't been corrupted," Alice protested.

            "Oh?  You should have seen the poor doctors when they ran out of here," Margarete told Keith, who had been gone earlier.  "You had Alice inside, screaming curses at them because she was in pain, and Yuri outside, yelling at them to know what the problem was and why they weren't doing anything because he could hear **Alice** screaming.  And frankly, I think Alice swore more than he did."

            The new mother looked embarrassed.  She **did** remember yelling at the doctor quite a bit, and she **thought** perhaps once or twice there were a few lapses of the tongue, but she hadn't thought it'd been that bad.  "Well, he was idiotic," she said.  "Can you believe it, the doctor coming in **after** she was born and saying, 'by the way, she should have been a c-section'?"

            Anne began crying and Yuri looked at her nervously.  "Uh, what do I do?" he asked Alice.

            She sighed.  "Here, give her back."  Yuri walked over to her and tried to place the baby in her arms.  But at the same time, Anne became interested in his hair and grabbed one of the strands hanging over her face.

            "Oww…"

            Margarete chuckled.  "She's telling you to get a hair cut."  Over the time they had last seen him, Yuri's hair had grown out, mostly out of pure neglect on his part to get it cut.  Alice pried her fingers open so Yuri could get back up.

            "She's got a pretty strong grip," he said surprised.

            Alice looked down at the baby.  "Just like your daddy, huh?  Are you going to take after him?"  However, Anne's face scrunched up and she began crying again.  "She must be hungry.  Alright, everyone get out so I can feed her."

**

**Author's Note:**

I seem to be suffering from some sort of a disease.  I keep feeling like I need to start a new fanfic.  I'm very sorry, as I realize I should be updating Shadow Souls instead of starting another fanfic.  That will be my next priority, I promise.

I haven't really been able to type these last two weeks though, because my monitor has been repeatedly borrowed, which makes it hard to type.  I still do not really have a monitor of my own, but hopefully, the problem is going to be solved today (crosses her fingers).  I have about three pages of the next chapter (for Shadow Souls) written, but it's still taking a while.  Sorry if this is making anyone annoyed.

This story is not really related to Shadow Souls and is on a separate timeline.  So, there will not be any characters in here from Shadow Souls.  (Well, actually I was debating on tossing Lilia in, but that depends on something else happening, and I probably won't do it).

By the by, I changed my profile in a fit of boredom and frustration (in the middle of class, no less).  Read, if you like.

Also, the birth in here is partly based on my own.  I really **was** supposed to be a c-section, but the doctor didn't realize this until after two days of labor and my birth.  It's a good thing my mom doesn't know Advent, or there'd be one less doctor in the world.


	2. Bad News, Good News, and Inspiration

**Disclaimer: **Own baby Anne, but nothing from Shadow Hearts.

**

            Since Alice and Yuri had last seen it, the castle had changed dramatically.  For one thing, there was a lot more light in it, and most of the things in the castle had been fixed up while some had been moved out, and new furniture had been brought in.  It was obvious that this had to be Margarete's doing.

            "She's done a great job with this, Keith," Alice told him.  She swayed back and forth on her legs, rocking the sleeping Anne.  Alice looked around.  "Where is she, by the way?"

            It was their first anniversary.  One year ago, Yuri and Alice had had their wedding day set for this day.  As they neared the wedding day, Margarete and Keith had suddenly announced their engagement, and together they had all decided that the weddings should take place on the same day.  It only seemed natural that they would celebrate the anniversary together.  Tonight, they were only planning on having a nice dinner here.  A three-month-old baby made it hard to do much else.

            "You know how she was feeling sick?  She went to see the doctor today.  I think she's just running a little late, she should be here soon."

            "I see," Alice said.

            "So what are we going to do while we're waiting?"

            Keith shrugged in response to Yuri's question, then sat down in one of the armchairs Magarete had gotten recently.  "Have a seat, I guess."

            Alice sat down on the couch and laid Anne out next to her.  The baby moved and then suddenly shivered, her lower chin quivering.  Keith laughed.  It was simply too cute.

            "Is she cold?"

            "Maybe," Alice said.  She tucked in the pink blanket tighter around the girl.  "It is a little colder here than the store is."

            "How is your store doing, anyway?"

            Yuri shrugged.  "Business is pretty good.  We haven't been around that long, so we're not that well known, but we've got a few good customers who come to our store a lot.  And I've been hired out for two jobs since Anne was born.  I pretty much had to go, since they were emergencies, but other than that I've been at home."  Then a smirk grew on Yuri's face.  "And how does being a wealthy heir suit you?"

            Margarete had arranged some paperwork that stated Keith was his own descendent, and heir to the property and estates of Blue Castle.  Otherwise, the castle may have become government property, and the caskets would have been disturbed and—let's just say things would be bad then.

            Keith shrugged.  "It is alright, but a little boring.  So I've picked up a little side job."

            "Huh?"

            "I'm working as a spy."

            Alice looked surprised.  "You too?  Did Margarete push you into this?"

            "A bit, but she had a very logical argument.  I have two advantages that would make me a good spy:  I can turn invisible, making it easier to sneak around, and I can turn into a bat, so I can get into more places more easily than a human can."

            "Yeah, that makes sense."

            "The only thing I do not like is the gun.  I prefer the sword, it's much more…chivalrous."

            "I thought spying was the opposite of chivalry," Yuri said.

            Keith shrugged.  "Oh well…I think I hear Margarete," he said, looking over the armchair.

            As Margarete came closer, Yuri and Alice also heard her.  There was a muffled sob outside in the hallway, and then Margarete came in, looking distressed.  She was crying, and a shaky hand covering her mouth did nothing to quiet the heaving sobs.  "Oh," she said, seeing Alice and Yuri.  "You're here.  Good.  I-I need to tell you something.  Well, do you want the good news or the bad news first?"

            "Good God, if it's making you so upset, the bad news," Keith sad, worried.  He'd never seen Margarete like this.

            "A-alright." Margarete fanned herself and tried to slow her breathing.  However, she said nothing, making her husband even more anxious.

            "What is it?  What did the doctor say?"

            "The bad news is…the bad news is…the doctor said I have only six months left."  The first reaction was to stare in disbelief, but that slowly turned to horror as what she had said sunk in.  Before they could speak, she continued.

            "The good news is, until the baby is born."

            The horror slowly turned to puzzlement, then to various mixtures of relief and annoyance and joy.  Margarete was no longer crying; in fact, she could barely hide her smirk.

            "That wasn't funny!  Don't scare us like that!" Yuri yelled at her.

            She nearly doubled over laughing.  "That was priceless!  You should have seen your faces…"

            "That took a century off my life," Keith said, and then he suddenly sat up straight and looked over his wife.  "You're pregnant?"

            "Yep."

            "That's wonderful!" Alice said enthusiastically.  "Congratulations!"

            "You don't look pregnant," Yuri said.

            "Hey, it's only been three months.  Give it time."

            "Wait…three months…"  Yuri took a look at his three-month-old daughter and then said, "Boy, we must have really inspired you guys."  On his right, Alice looked rather embarrassed.

            Margarete smiled and leaned on Keith's armchair.  "Yep, we were pretty inspired, weren't we Keith?"  Keith turned a very interesting shade of red.  "But you know kiddo, you guys were a lot faster.  I mean, it's been twelve months…and Anne's three months already…just what exactly were you kids during on the honeymoon?"

            "It's a secret."

            Keith and Alice, both bright red, gave each other sympathetic looks and wished they were somewhere else.  "Wh-why don't we have dinner now?" Keith said, getting up from his armchair.

            "Sure!" Alice said, also getting up and picking up Anne.

**

**Reviewers:**

**PoopooPlaTTer:** Well, she **is** married to him.  And…three fanfics…I'm trying to update them all today.  Wish me luck.

**Gutterfiend:** What???  You want me to give away the plot **already**?  I can't!

**Greyfriars:**  O_o  Don't start waiting for darkness yet.  It'll take a few chapters (undetermined number) to get to anything dark.  But don't worry, it'll come.

**Loki:** Well, Shadow Souls **is** getting updated.  I think it's a bad chapter, but it's an update!

Psst…after I saw your review, I decided to add Margarete getting pregnant.  And um…if you read Shadow Souls and you hate what I did with Margarete and Keith there…I'm sorry.  Just wait for the next chapter.

**Dessa Rhiannon:**  Here you go!!

**Milia:** Of course there's going to be more chapters!  I said it was going to get darker!

And, by now, Shadow Souls **should** be updated.  


	3. Margarete and Keith have a Baby

**Disclaimer:  **Don't own Shadow Hearts, do own Anne (and the new baby!).

**

            "Come on…come on, Annie, come to daddy…"

            The nine-month-old clung to the chairs as she made her way on wobbly legs.  Anne looked like she was about to fall once or twice, but eventually she made it all the way to Yuri, who then lifted her up into the air.  "Good job Anne!"

            The little girl gurgled happily, her smile showing the teeth that had started growing in.  Keith watched the pair with amusement; he hadn't thought of Yuri ever as a father, but he seemed to have adjusted to being one well.

            Suddenly the yelling started again.  Anne looked upset at the noise; her face scrunched up, the classic warning sign, and then she started wailing.  Babies hate loud noises and crying, and Margarete, over in the next room, was providing a bit of both.

            Keith sighed as Alice stepped out of the room.  "Not yet?"

            She shrugged.  "It hasn't been that long Keith.  But she's coming along pretty well.  The doctor said the baby could come in maybe an hour, maybe less."  She walked over to Yuri, who was busy bouncing Anne up and down, trying to keep her happy.  "Have you been feeding her?"

            "She hasn't cried yet…well, 'cept when Margarete sets her off."

            "Have you changed her diaper?"

            Yuri grimaced.  "Yes.  And you **owe** me.  That one was nasty."

            "Then you owe me for all the diapers you shoved off on me."  Alice raised an eyebrow.  "You'd be in massive debt."  She walked over to the door.  "By the way, you'd better feed her.  It's past her mealtime."

            "Where's her food?"

            "Um…I'm not sure.  Just look around."  She opened the door, allowing both men to hear half the swears that Margarete knew and others that she was now inventing for the benefit of the doctor.  Quite an educational experience.  Anne started wailing again and Alice quickly shut the door.

            Keith tapped his foot against the floor.  "Shouldn't I go in there?"

            Yuri shook his head.  "No.  I tried going in there for a while when Alice was having Anne, but…well, she ended up yelling at me to just leave."

            "Aren't you supposed to feed her?"

            "Oh yeah."  Yuri put Anne on the floor, where she began crawling around.  Then he picked up the blue bag they'd brought with and searched for the food.  Eventually he found a can of it and opened it.  He brought it up to his nose and his face twisted in disgust.  "Now…spoon…"  He started rummaging through the bag again.  Despite digging through diapers, blankets, and other containers of food, he couldn't find the utensil.  "Where the he—where is the spoon?"

            The vampire grinned.  "Looks like Alice trained you well."

            "Shut up."  Alice had told Yuri that if her daughter's first word was a swear, he would find himself 'in big trouble, mister.'  Bottom line was, no cursing in front of Anne, and Alice had made sure to enforce that.  It'd gotten to the point where he'd check himself if Alice wasn't there to do it.  "Anyways, Margarete's teaching her a whole bunch of swears right now."

            "She has an excuse."

            "Yeah, yeah…"  Yuri finally dug out a spoon, then picked up Anne.  "Hey Anne…time for your supper…"

            The baby looked at the spoon, as though she doubted that the orange substance on it was actually food.  Yuri put the spoon to her lips, but she refused to open.  Then, with a 'Don't-you-DARE-tell-anyone' glare to Keith, he started acting as though the spoon was a train, with much enthusiasm and 'choo-choo' noises.  Anne laughed and the spoon darted into her open mouth.  She swallowed and then allowed her father to feed her the rest, without the theatrics.

            "Darn babies, never know what they want," Yuri said, seeing her reaction.  "No?  You never know what you do want, do you?"  This was addressed to Anne, who simply smiled back at him, orange goop trailing down her chin.  "Good luck with your kid, Keith."

            "It better be a boy," Keith said.

            "If it's a boy, what's she going to name him?"

            "I don't know."

            "Girl?"

            "Don't know."  The vampire sighed.  Margarete had told him, in no uncertain terms, that **she** was going to name any seven-odd-pound thing that **she** had to carry around for nine months and then give birth to.  He supposed he could see her point, but he still wondered what kind of name she was going to give their child.  Maybe Vincent…or Allen…wait, that wouldn't be a good name…

            A loud and rather prolonged noise distracted Keith from his thoughts and he looked up at the guilty baby.  "Again???  Anne, c'mon, that's gotta be the third so far!"  Anne laughed at Yuri's incredulous expression and he sighed.  "Now I've got to change you **again**…"  He laid the infant down again and got a diaper, muttering, "Alice is going to be changing your diapers all next week, I'm sure not doing it…"

            "Keith!"  Alice's eyes were wide with delight and she was beaming.  "The baby's coming!"

            "What?!"

            "H-hey!" Yuri protested.  Keith and Alice both ran out of the room, leaving him alone with Anne.  He gave Anne a mock glare.  "You always have to do this at the worst time…"

**

            By the time he got Anne cleaned up, the nurses were busy washing the blood off of the new baby.  Keith was pleased at the fact that it was a boy, and Margarete just seemed pleased that it was all over and she could rest.  But first, there was a small issue.

            Alice tapped a sleepy Margarete on the shoulder.  "Margarete?  They have to fill out the birth certificate."

            "Sure…"

            "What are you naming him?"

            "Later…"  Margarete felt ready to drift off into dreamland.  Alice couldn't blame her.  After Anne's birth, all she had wanted to do was sleep for the next twenty-four hours.

            "Hmm…I guess I'll have to name him then," Keith said, trying to get his wife to wake up.

            It worked.  Her eyes shot open and she protested, "I'm naming him!"  She blinked and then yawned.  "His name…his name's Locke…Locke Alexander…"

            "Locke Alexander Valentine?  That's a mouthful," Yuri commented.

            Keith smiled.  "It's a good name."

**

**Author's Notes:  **Wow, that's the first time I've made up a full name for a character.  It took a long time to think of both first and middle name.  Wasn't sure of Alexander…but it seemed like a good name.  And a nine-months pregnant Margarete is going to be a **very** bossy woman.  At least, I thought she would be.

In the next chapter…is everyone okay if I create a genetically impossible character?  I know I really shouldn't…but hey, it's fiction…and I can't get the mental picture out of my head…^^.

About the names Keith thought of…Vincent is, yes, an FF7 reference, and why is Allen a bad name?  Think about it.  Allen Valentine?  **That's** a name you're going to get teased about.  Of course he could always drink their blood or something like that, but then their parents would probably get upset ^^.

**

**Reviewers:**

**Gutterfiend:** You know what's funny about that?  The first time I wrote that chapter, it didn't even strike me as gallows humor.  I just thought of it as a joke.  When I re-read it, I realized that it was a **little** twisted, but I still thought it was in-character for Margarete.

**Milia:** I don't think Yuri would take that into consideration.  Alice probably would, except it probably wasn't such a big deal back then, plus add Yuri and some wine in…^^

**Greyfriars:** Actually, the story is planned to end about when Anne is either nine or ten (probably nine).  So Locke will be either eight or nine when it ends.  Basically, **it doesn't matter if he's immortal or not**.  It doesn't even really matter whether Margarete's aging can be stopped (at least, it doesn't affect the storyline).  It might cause Keith some grief if Margarete **does** age, but he probably wouldn't mention it to others, least of all his son—and this isn't a Keith-centric story, so no Keith angst.  Now if I did a sequel, then this might all become relevant ::light bulb pops up::  …do they have pills for dealing with Multiple Fic complex?

::sweatdrop:: are you people really that anxious for me to spoil the whole plot?  I can't tell you what's going to happen!!!

**Nights Mistress:** Well…that might come into play **later**…

Um, why's Aenea restrained?

**PoopooPlaTTer:** Well, Keith and Yuri aren't pregnant…O_o …that was a scary mental image  ::shudder::

Hm…Halley…he might make an appearance next chapter.  Actually, everyone might.  Reunion sort of thing ::sweatdrop::  Boy, I sure seem to use that as a reason for getting them together a lot…


	4. Reunions

**Disclaimer:  **Don't own Shadow Hearts.  Do own three young, impressionable minds.  Such a pity…

**

            "Wow, you're early, Zhuzhen," Margarete said as the Adept came in.  "You come all the way from China, and you still beat Yuri and Alice."  She looked at her husband.  "Where are they, anyway?"

            "They'll be getting here soon enough."

            "How have you two been?" Zhuzhen asked.

            Margarete shrugged.  "Well, we had quite a few rough times during the war.  But now that it's all over, pretty good."

            "Few rough times…that's an understatement."  Keith shook his head emphatically.  Zhuzhen could understand.  With both of the as spies, being called on missions and not allowed to know where the other was had to be stressful.  They didn't write as often, but in Alice's letters, she described what she knew about the situation.  In many of her letters, it could be gathered that Locke was living at Yuri and Alice's home, instead of with his parents, because both were away.  "What about you, Zhuzhen?"

            "Nothing that you haven't already heard about."  Zhuzhen's letters were long and detailed, although Margarete always had to translate them from Chinese for Keith.  They'd heard all about when Shanghai was finally back to normal, and when Quiha became well known for her performances.  He looked around the hallway.  "Where's Locke?" Zhuzhen rummaged through his suitcase and brought out a small wrapped package.  "Got a gift for him."

            Instead of looking pleased, Margarete groaned.  "Oh god, don't give him that.  We've spoiled him enough without anyone's help."

            Seeing his friend's confusion, Keith explained, "We felt rather guilty for leaving him alone so much of the time.  We often came back from missions with new toys."

            "You do not want to see that child's toy room.  It's a nightmare."

            Zhuzhen was torn between pity and amusement at the parent's plight.  It might not have been planned, but they must have known early on that toys were not a good substitute for their presence.  But they'd continued buying with guilty consciences.

            "Do you think you could just…hide that for a while?" Margarete suggested.  The red package disappeared back into the suitcase.  "C'mon, he's upstairs."

            They walked upstairs, making more small talk, with Zhuzhen looking curiously at the changes in the castle.  They found Locke playing trains with a stranger Zhuzhen had never seen before.  The man was obviously a Valentine--his long, blonde hair was the same shade as Keith's, and his build was the same--but he had a mischievous expression and brown eyes.

            Surrounding the trains were large buildings hastily built with blocks.  Teddy bears lay scattered around.  The two of them were busy ramming their trains head on.  After three times, they seemed to silently decide to move on and began ramming at the buildings, sending dozens of blocks falling.

            "I've destroyed one of your buildings," the man boasted.

            "I got two," Locke countered, moving on to a third.

            "Well my army can wipe out your army."

            "But I have the teddy bears," Locke said, looking around.  "Where's your army?"

            His opponent considered this, then shrugged and snapped his fingers.  Soon, bats started flying through the window, swooping towards the bears.  _Definitely a Valentine_, Zhuzhen thought.

            "Brother!"

            Both Keith's son and brother stopped playing and looked up at the intruders.  "Oh, hi mom and dad," Locke said, brushing golden strands out of his blue eyes.  He glanced at Zhuzhen but said nothing.

            "What did I say about the bats?" Keith asked his brother.

            The other vampire only rolled his eyes.  "Please, he has to learn sometime."

            "Yes, perhaps when he is sixteen, like I was."

            "Father taught me when I was twelve," his brother said, looking smug.

            "**You** were the reason Father waited till I was sixteen!"

            Locke's uncle waved that away.  "So I played one or two pranks…"

            "It was a lot more than two!"

            One of the teddy bears fell back on the ground, headless.  This stopped their bickering as they all looked up and saw a few bats still picking at the head that another bat held aloft.

            "Would you mind putting the bears down before all of them are ruined?" Keith asked testily.

            "But they can be…" Locke picked up the headless teddy bear and looked at it.  "Can be…what are those things again?  The, umm… 'undied'?

            "Undead?  You mean zombies?"

            The four-year-old nodded enthusiastically.  "Yeah!  Let's make 'em zombies!  We'll have a whole army of 'em!"

            Keith stared at his son, then turned to his brother again.  "Leon, please."

            "What?"

            "Stop corrupting my son."

            Leon sighed and then snapped his fingers again, dismissing the bats.  Four teddy  bears, in various states of destruction, fell.  Locke did not seem at all upset by the loss of the bears; instead, he had gone back to ramming the buildings down with his train.  Zhuzhen marveled at the sheer number of toys, from all over Europe and a few from Asia, there were in his room.

            There was a call from downstairs.  "Keith, Margarete?  We're here," Alice called.

            "Anne's here!" Locke jumped up and ran downstairs.  Margarete smiled and followed him downstairs, as did Zhuzhen.

            They looked at Alice, standing alone in the foyer, curiously.  "Where's Yuri?" Margarete asked.

            "Busy with the koala," Alice said.

            "Oh."

            "What?"

            Alice smiled at the confused Zhuzhen.  "You'll see.  Oh, here he is."

            Yuri walked in with Anne on his shoulders.  She was enjoying her piggyback ride, giggling and waving to Margarete.  However, Yuri was walking a bit slow—probably because of the child attached to his leg, who made it difficult to walk forward.

            "So that's Isaiah?"

            Alice nodded, laughing, and called to Yuri, "Need some help?"

            "He's clinging again," her husband complained as he lifted Anne over his head and down to the ground.

            Zhuzhen walked over to the harmonixer and his children.  "Hello."

            "Hi!  You're Great-great-great-great-great grand uncle Zhuzhen, right?"

            Both men blinked in surprise, and then Yuri, looking very red, leaned down and whispered in the five-year-old's ear.  "Just uncle?" Anne repeated.  "But you said it was great-great-"

            "I was just joking," Yuri told her.

            "Oh.  So it's Uncle Zhuzhen?"

            "Yeah."  He straightened up, smiling weakly at Zhuzhen.

            "Great-great-great-great-great grand uncle.  Nice, kid."

            Alice and Margarete laughed, knowing how common it was to see Yuri embarrassed by something Anne said.  At five years old, Anne had quite a talent for remembering people's exact words, and sometimes quoted them word for word.  This was not always good for her father.

            "And hello to you, Isaiah," Zhuzhen said, looking down at the small boy who was still clinging to Yuri's lower leg.  He tried to remember how old the boy was—about two and a half, he thought—and smiled as Isaiah watched him with suspicious blue eyes.  Instead of responding, Isaiah pressed his face against Yuri's pants, leaving Zhuzhen to look at his white-blond hair.

            "Eh, don't worry about that," Yuri said.  "He's just shy."  He shrugged as he said this, in a 'what-can-you-do-about-it' way.  "C'mon, koala, time to get off."

            "Un-uh," Isaiah said, instead gripping the leg harder.

            "This is why he's a koala," Yuri said, gesturing to his son.  "He **clings**.  Like I'm a tree or something."

            "Anne, come on!  Let's go play in my room," Locke said.  Anne nodded and raced upstairs with him.  After a minute, Isaiah looked towards the stairs and finally let go of his father, sliding down to the ground.  He stood and began following them, his chubby legs stumbling as he climbed the castle stairs.

            "Need a lift, Isaiah?"  Keith's voice could be heard echoing down the stairs as he helped the young child up the rest of the stairs, then joined the others downstairs.  "Thank god Leon's out of the way," he said offhand.

            Yuri smirked, knowing that Keith did not get along well with his brother.  "What'd he do now?"

            "Only destroyed the teddy bears."

            "Well, at least it wasn't something Locke likes.  **That** would have been a disaster."

            Keith grumbled under his breath.  "I wish he hadn't figured out how to turn back.  He was a lot better stuck as a bat."

            "That's not very nice," Alice said.  "Where'd he go?"

            "Oh, off flying around, as usual," Keith said, waving his hand dismissively.  "How was the trip?" he asked her.

            "We were set back a little.  There was a pretty bad storm in Prague."

            "Ah.  That explains it…"

**

**Author's Note:**  Sorry, but the chapter ends here, right in the middle of the reunion.  Why?  This computer's being stupid …hopefully I'll be able to upload this, although I'm not too sure about that.

            About plot…by chapter seven, we should be getting into plot.  And I'm pretty sure this story will be less than fifteen, at most twenty chapters.  If it's longer…oh boy…

**

**Reviewers:**

**Kimgrasshopper:**  Yuri would probably be a good father, but Alice would probably get stuck with discipline.  I can't see Yuri disciplining his kids, unless he was **really** mad about what they'd done.

This story is cute?  Yay!  But it can't stay that way for long.  Shadow Hearts cannot have 'cute' fanfics.  Suddenly there'll be a storm, flashes of lightning, writing in blood scrawled on the wall…

…I'm starting to freak myself out now.  Okay, so it won't be like **that**, but it is going to get darker.

**Loki, Harbinger of Death:**  Well, I hope you like the fixed chapter.  And there **will** be a new chapter with explanation for M/K…sometime soon…I'm on the third page for it…and I'm **stuck**!!!  ::sigh::

**Greyfriars:**  Well, I don't know if they had baby food.  But, I kept it for simplicity's sake.  Not like Shadow Hearts didn't have a bunch of anachronisms…and no, Locke is a blonde.  I'll explain the genetic impossibility in a sec.

Actually, the dark plot is both highly original and highly unoriginal, I believe.  And if you can figure **that** out, you're brilliant.

Nights Mistress:  Although you can probably tell the 'Aw' chapters aren't really getting the plot anywhere, I'm trying to set up the characters for what will happen.  Not really sure if I'm succeeding, but I'm trying. 

**Araschid:**  Yuri and Keith pregnant.  Now **there's** a humor fic in the making.  I would just like to see Yuri's reaction.  ::snickers::

My mom has had five children.  Trust her on this.  They can walk alone at about ten-twelve months, although they can walk along furniture earlier.  I mentioned that Anne was walking alongside some chairs.  And my little brother just turned three.  He doesn't walk, he **zooms** around the house, and causes all sorts of destruction.  We call him the 'little dictator'.

**

            Isaiah was not originally planned in the storyline, but it occurred to me that at later points, it might be helpful to have a fourth point of view, almost as an observer (although he has become more involved in the storyline since he was added).  Since he's going to observing the Hyuga family, it only makes sense that he would be their second child.  Kinda funny though, considering that Yuri and Alice are both only children (actually, they never say Alice **doesn't** have siblings, do that…?).  They probably don't have a clue about sibling rivalry.

            Since the first child looked like Yuri, I decided he would resemble Alice (blue eyes, white-blond hair).  If you've studied genetics, you should know that this is near impossible, considering Yuri's pedigree and likely genotypes, dominant alleles, yadayadayada.  In fact the only couple this child is really possible with is…

            ::winces:: That was **not** pretty.  Alice and Simon…::shudders::

            So I kept him as only a possibility.  I realized that he needed a name.  Again, since Yuri named first child, he would probably let Alice name the second child.  Alice would probably lean towards a biblical name.  Then the problem was finding a biblical name that would **not** sound ridiculous next to Hyuga, like Mark Hyuga (which just sounds odd).  Isaiah Hyuga…never let me name a child.  But Isaiah is a pretty cool first name (or maybe it's just me).

            Once Isaiah was given a name, he took form and grabbed onto my leg and **pleaded** to be let in the story.  You should see his puppy eyes.  He could get away with murder.  I had to write him in.

**

            And Locke.  Ahh, Locke.  Cursed child who everyone thinks is named after someone.  **He is not named after anyone**!  I've never even played FF6/3, and I don't know much about the philosopher.  I just went through names that could go with Valentine, and I thought of Locke.  Here was my train of reasoning:  Valentine, Heart, Shadow Hearts, Kingdom Hearts, Keyblade, Key, Lock, Locke.

            …And trust me, my trains of reasoning can get **far** more screwed up than that.


	5. The Kids

**Disclaimer:**  Don't own Shadow Hearts or any of its characters.  Do own Isaiah, Anne, and Locke.  Heh heh.

**

            "There.  Food's all out," Margarete said, looking at the buffet they had set out on the tables.

            "And it smells delicious," Halley's voice called.  "Good, 'cause I'm hungry."  Halley, Chris, Sharon, and Joshua all walked towards the table of food.

            "Aren't you going to say hello first?"

            "Of course.  Hey Alice."

            Alice laughed softly and caved in, giving Halley some chicken and vegetables.  She wasn't too surprised to see that at twenty-two, he had added a few more inches to his height.

            "Hi Sharon," Margarete said, greeting the teenaged girl.  "Hello Joshua."  She eyed him suspiciously, holding a spatula as a weapon.

            The boy grinned, chipper as always.  "Hello, Mrs. Miss Ma'am!"

            Margarete's eyes widened and she turned red.  Joshua laughed as he quickly backed away from the spatula's vicious stabs.  "You're STILL a snot-nosed brat!" she yelled.  Alice sighed, thankful that the children were upstairs and couldn't hear Margarete.

            "Just like old times," remarked Zhuzhen.

            Yuri glanced at Keith.  "Wouldn't that make you Mr. Miss Ma'am?"

            "Don't start."

            "Yes sir."  Yuri grinned and then walked over to Halley and Chris.  "So, any news from America?"

            "Not really," Halley answered with a shrug.  "Mom says hi.  She would tell you directly, but then you'd have a headache."

            "Where's Isaiah and Anne?" Chris asked.

            "Upstairs with Locke.  They're in a big room with lots of toys.  Trust me, you can't miss it."  Chris nodded, then turned and climbed up the stairs.  "She's been really interested in the kids," he commented.

            "She wants to have a kid."  Halley started eating the mashed potatoes.

            "And…"

            "Well…I don't think I'm ready.  But she's all excited about having a baby."

            "It's not that bad," Yuri said.  "I took it pretty well when Alice told me she was pregnant with Anne."

            "Oh yeah right!" Margarete exclaimed, overhearing the conversation.  "You kept telling her to stop joking around.  You didn't even believe her!"

            "Well, it'd only been three months!" Yuri protested.  "It kind of took me by surprise!"

            "Now, Keith did take it pretty well.  Although, he started acting like I was made out of glass.  And you, kiddo…"  She snickered.  "I remember Alice screaming at you to leave her alone for once."

            "Okay, so I overreacted and was a little overprotective."

            "Uh…how is that taking it pretty well?" Halley asked.

            "It isn't," Margarete said, still laughing.  Yuri was a little put off by this and started grumbling to himself.  Then he noticed Sharon also going upstairs, dragging along Joshua.

            "And what about Sharon?"

            "Huh-oh, she's been baby-sitting to earn money.  She just loves children."

            "Poor Joshua."

            "I didn't mean it like that!  They're **way** too young!"

**

            "Hi!  I'm Sharon," she introduced herself.  Even though she knew the girl's name, she asked, "What's your name."

            Anne grinned.  "My name is Anne May Hyuga.  Anne after my daddy's mom, May 'cause that's when I was born, and Hyuga after my daddy!"

            Sharon blinked in surprise.  Few five-year-olds told you why they were named.  She doubted many could.

            The girl continued.  "Mommy taught me how to write my name."

            "Really?"  Anne nodded and continued looking up at the older girl.  "Can you show me?"  She nodded again and then raced off to find a paper and pencil.  Sharon had to laugh; some kids were so eager to please.

            Joshua had replaced Leon in helping Locke demolish the block buildings.  Conclusion: boys have an instinctive desire to destroy things.

            "Hey Isaiah, what's wrong?"

            The toddler stared forlornly at the headless teddy bear.  He looked at Chris.  "Bear broke."

            She had to agree with him.  The head had come completely off, with bits of stuffing coming out of both body and head.  "Why don't you play with this train?" she suggested, pulling up a large red train.

            "No, bear."

            "But he's broken."

            The small boy sighed, then took both the body and head of the bear and walked out of the room.  Chris followed him, watching as he sat on the top of the staircase, then slid off his bottom until he landed with a **thump** on the next step.  He scooted over to the edge, then slowly slid off.  **Thump**.  He repeated the process, the bear's body and head tucked securely under his arms.

            "Huh."  _What an odd kid._

            "Sharon, Sharon, I got the paper!"  Anne ran down the hallway and back into the toy room, clutching the paper and pencil.  She lay down on the floor and began, an interested Sharon watching over her shoulder.  "A…"  An 'A' was painstakingly drawn.  "N…"

            "Good job!" Sharon said once 'Anne' was written.  Anne continued though.

            "M…A…Y…"  Now her last name.  She frowned at the paper and slowly began.  "H…U…"

            "I think there's another letter before the 'u'," Sharon suggested.  Anne thought, then added a line to the u, making it a y.  Then she finished and held the paper up for inspection.  "That's great!  What else does your mom teach you?"

            "Math and reading.  She taught Locke how to write his name too."  She looked over to where Chris, Locke and Joshua were rebuilding for more demolition.  "Can we help them build?"

            "Sure."

**

            **Thump**.  **Thump**.

            "What's that?" Zhuzhen asked, looking up from his dinner.

            "Isaiah," Yuri answered.  "That's how he comes downstairs."

            **Thump**.  The toddler appeared, looking around the room.  "Mommy," he called, walking over to Alice.

            She put her food down and looked at her son.  "What is it?"  Then she noticed the decapitated bear.  "Is that Mr. Bear?"

            "Mr. Bear is his favorite teddy bear," Yuri explained to Zhuzhen.  "Even though it's actually Locke's…"

            "What's wrong with him?" Alice asked.

            "He broke," Isaiah said.  "No head."  He showed her the damaged toy.

            "I see…you want me to sew him up and make him better?"  An eager nod.  "Alright…but first we should ask if we can take him home.  Ask Margarete if we can borrow him."  Margarete was only six feet away, but she wanted Isaiah to ask.

            "Aunt Margarie, can we borrow Mr. Bear and fix him, please?"

            "Well…Locke doesn't play with him anymore, so I don't think he'd mind if you kept him.  He'll be all yours, 'kay?"

            You'd think it was Christmas from Isaiah's expression.  "Thank you!"  Isaiah put the teddy bear down and held out his arms to Margarete.  Puzzled, she picked him up and was pleasantly surprised by a hug.  "Hug."  Isaiah gave her a light peck on the lips.  "Kiss."

            Yuri groaned.  "Why'd you have to teach him that, Alice?  Now he's gonna grow up and go around kissing girls at random."

            "Which I'm sure you've never done," Halley said sarcastically.

            "Not at random!  Oh-wait…"  Yuri began thinking.  "There was that one time—"

            "We don't want to hear about it," Keith told him.

            Margarete put the two-year-old back down.  He retrieved the head and body of Mr. Bear and gave to his mother.  "You fix him, please?"

            "Yes, I'll fix him," Alice assured him.  She examined the bear.  "Your brother ruined this, Keith?"

            "The bats."

            "Oh."

            Isaiah now yawned and tugged on his mother's blue dress.  "Mommy, I sleepy."

            Alice smiled and ruffled his hair.  "You want to go to bed."

            "Uh huh."

            She picked him up and then looked at Yuri.  "It **is** kind of late, why don't you get Anne?"

            "They're not hungry?" Halley asked as Yuri headed upstairs.  He hadn't seen them eat anything.

            Alice laughed.  "I hope not, they were eating through the whole trip."

            Isaiah brightened.  "Yeah, sanmiches, apples…and cholate…"  He yawned again and rested his head on his mother's shoulder.  Alice looked annoyed.

            "Yuri, did you give them candy?" she called up the stairs.

            "Yes…"

            "I thought we agreed, no candy."

            "It was only a little," Yuri protested, coming down the stairs with Anne in tow.

            Alice shook her head.  At five years old, Anne had learned she could get daddy to say 'yes' when mommy said 'no'.  Isaiah copied her example and Yuri easily caved in to two children—especially when they were his own.

            "Daddy, can I please help Locke build towers?" she asked.

            "No, it's time for bed."

            "But Locke gets to stay up!"

            "Well do I look like Uncle Keith?" Yuri asked.  Halley wondered how many times he'd heard a similar question from his mother.  The wonderful clichés of parents.

            Anne pouted at her father, trying the guilt tactic.  "But it's not fair…"

            It seemed to be working.  Yuri bit his lip, uncertain.  "Maybe just a—"

            "It's your bedtime now, Anne," Alice interjected, making it clear.  She glared at Yuri.  "Why don't you go with Anne, Isaiah.  Get dressed for bed.  I'll check on you in a minute."  She put the two-year-old on his feet as he rubbed his eyes, and the children wandered off.  Anne and Isaiah knew where they'd be sleeping already; since they lived in Prague, they visited often and usually spent the night.

            After a few minutes, Alice turned to her husband.  "You do know you're absolutely spineless, don't you?"

            "I know, I know," Yuri said with a guilty expression.  Alice shook her head, both amused and exasperated, then followed the children to their temporary room.

            "Poor Alice.  She's got three kids to look after."

            "Oh shut up," Yuri grumbled.  Margarete smirked.

**

            Alice sighed, finding Anne looking wide awake and sitting on top of her bed.  At least she was in her pink nightgown.  "Go to sleep Anne.  It's time for bed."

            "But what about our story?"

            Isaiah opened his eyes.  Apparently he hadn't been asleep either.  "Story?"

            "Please mom?"

            "Alright, alright," Alice said.  "And then you'll go to sleep?"

            Anne nodded.  "Can you tell me how you and daddy met?" she asked eagerly.

            "First you have to get in bed."

            Her daughter scrambled into bed, grabbing the covers and yanking them up to her chest.  "Ready!"

            "Hmm…Once upon a time, in a far away land…"  Anne giggled at the beginning; it sounded so much like a fairy tale.  "I was on a train.  There weren't many people on the train.  In fact, there was almost no one on board."  Alice left out her capture by the Japanese on purpose; she felt it would be too confusing to explain everything.  Besides, that wasn't what Anne wanted to hear.  "And then, on a dark night with a full moon—"

            "Albert Simon came!"

            "Anne, shhh."  Alice looked over to where Isaiah was not quite asleep, his eyelids beginning to droop.

            "He was a bad man, wasn't he?"

            Alice had told her the story once before, but had tried not to pass any sort of judgment on him.  "He was human, Anne.  We all make a few mistakes."

            Anne looked a little confused, but didn't ask again, instead puzzling it over in her mind.  "Albert Simon wanted to kidnap me, and tried to threaten me with a horrible monster.  We were at the end of the train, and I had nowhere to run."

            "Were you scared?"

            Alice nodded.  "Very."

            "What did the monster look like?"

            "Kind of like a human, except it was small and had green skin.  It looked sickly.  It carried a scythe."

            "Kinda like the Grim Reaper?" Anne asked thoughtfully.

            "Yes, like that," Alice replied, wondering who'd taught her about that.  It could have been Leon or Yuri.  She hoped it hadn't been Yuri.

            "Then what happened?"

            Alice smiled at Anne's impatience.  "Daddy came in the car we were in.  He had followed Albert Simon."

            Anne's smile changed as she tried to fight a yawn.  "He wasn't scared, was he?"

            "No, he defeated the monster and rescued me from Albert Simon."

            "Like a knight.  And you lived happily ever after with me and Isaiah, right?"

            Alice had to laugh at that.  At the time she'd met him, he'd managed to ruin all her 'knight in shining armor' ideas with one ill-placed touch.  It'd been a bumpy road for them that first night.

            But of course Anne would think of her father as a knight.  It was only natural for children to look up to their parents.  Hadn't she thought the same of her own father?  And Yuri really was a hero, in his own way.

            "We lived happy ever after," she told her daughter.  Perhaps not right away, but they'd gotten there eventually.  "The end."  She leaned in and gave her a kiss on the forehead.  "I love you Anne.  Good night."

            "I love you, mommy."  Anne wriggled in bed.  "What about daddy?"

            "I'll tell him to come."  As she left, Alice passed Isaiah's bed.  Noticing he had no blankets, she pulled them over the toddler and then left.

            When she returned, she found some of the adults looking on as two wrestling matches took place.  One was a play match between Joshua and Locke, which soon had a victor.  Locke grinned at his parents while on top of Joshua's stomach, apparently proud of himself.  Joshua winked at Sharon.

            The other wrestling match was between Halley and Yuri.  When they'd wrestled before, Yuri had always won, physically stronger.  But this fight looked almost even, the two men struggling before Halley claimed an advantage and pinned Yuri.

            Zhuzhen chuckled.  "Seems like you've lost, Yuri."

            "Tch.  That was just beginner's luck," Yuri said as he got off the floor.  "I'll show you.  Rematch."

            "That will have to wait," Alice told him.

            "Why?"

            "Anne wants her goodnight kiss."

            Yuri turned red, grumbled something about how humiliating it was, before finally going down the hallway to their room.  Alice knew he was only complaining because the others were here.

**

            "Isaiah's asleep?" Yuri asked, looking down at the boy.  The sleeping toddler murmured something about Mr. Bear and Yuri shook his head.  The teddy bear again.

            "Uh huh."

            He grinned and then sat on Anne's bed.  "You want a kiss goodnight?"

            "Yep.  I love you, daddy."

            "Love you."  He gave her a light kiss, also on the forehead.  "Now go to sleep."

            She beamed and covered herself so only her face could be seen.  "I will."  She closed her eyes.

            Yuri walked back to the hallway, back to the laughter and Locke's stubborn protests to his own bedtime.  He turned in the doorway and looked at both of his children as they slept.  He had a small smile as he shut the door, blocking the last rays of light from their innocent expressions.

**

**Author's Note:  **Okay, enough of the fluff and sap and mushiness.  Onto the good stuff!  In the next chapter, the story **should** become darker, and Greyfriars, you'll probably find out some of the plot.

            About this chapter…actually, the chapter was supposed to be about something entirely different.  But I tried typing it out and I just couldn't figure out how to make it work.  So the chapter was kinda changed…and the next chapter will not be the reunion.  (Yes.  We're moving on.)

            About ages right now:

Yuri:  31

Alice:  27/28 (I want to say 28, but it all depends on when her birthday is)

Isaiah:  2.5

Anne:  5 (Just turned five)

Keith:  Uh…407?

Margarete:  ???  (I have **no** clue what her age is in the game)

Locke:  4

Halley and Chris:  22 (assuming Chris is about Halley's age)

Sharon and Joshua:  13-15 (it all depends what you place their ages in the game at, though I think they would be about 14 now)

Zhuzhen:  Seventy, maybe?  Older?  I don't know…

            Oh yeah…I took some of Isaiah's habits from my little brother who just turned three.  He doesn't do it as often now, but he did give people hugs and kisses (he'd even, if you weren't looking at him, take your head with his hands and make you turn your head so he could give you a kiss on the lips).  I think my older sister actually taught him that.  I also asked him to pronounce some of the bigger words that Isaiah says, which is how I got 'Margarie' and 'sanmiches' (I didn't have to ask him about 'cholate'.  He's **always** asking for 'cholate').

**

**Reviewers:**

**Kimgrasshopper:**  What Yuri thinks?  Let's get his reaction…::gets muse from Shadow Souls::  So Yuri, what do you think of the fact that Isaiah has white-blonde hair?

Yuri:  Uh…he takes after his mom?

But, you know, that's kind of impossible with you as his father.

Yuri:  Oh…are you suggesting Alice **cheated**?

::shrugs::  I don't know.  I thought that was kind of what grasshopper was implying.

Yuri:  But…I can't see her cheating.

I can't really either.  (Can anyone imagine Alice cheating on Yuri?)

Yuri:  I mean, it just seems like she'd spontaneously combust or something first.

Regina:  I can help with that.  ::holding a fireball::

…Regina, get out of here and get back into Shadow Souls, right now.

Regina:  Or what?

Or I won't give you your scene with Yuri next chapter.

Regina:  Damn!  ::goes back to Shadow Souls::

Yuri:  What did you promise her this time???

Heh heh…you go back now too.

**Greyfriars:**  Anne looks kind of like…well, how li'l Anne does.  And li'l Anne looks kind of like Yuri (at least, I **think** Yuri takes after his mom in both hair and eye color.  Not sure about hair.)

**Araschid:**  Sorry.  I guess I am kind of stressed with finals.  (One more day, and I'm FREE!)

Hmm…fic about Yuri and Keith being pregnant.  What about Halley now?  Let's just make all the guys pregnant.  ::scary mental images of Zhuzhen pregnant pop up::  Okay, maybe not Zhuzhen…

**Nights Mistress:**  Heh heh…you know how you said to e-mail you about drop bears?  Did you get my e-mail?  Did you send a reply?

…Well, I was kind of suffering from a brief lapse of stupidity, because I was logged in as someone else.  (Actually, I was logged in as my stepmom.  She's probably not very happy.)  So, I didn't get your reply.  Could you just leave it in the reviews?  Or e-mail me at kokiaru@aol.com.


	6. Innocent Curiosity

****

Disclaimer: Don't own Shadow Hearts, do own Isaiah and Anne and Locke.

**

Yuri frowned as he looked at the supplies. "Alice?" he called upstairs.

"Yes?" She turned down the hallway and poked her head in Anne's room, making the girl jump. "Almost ready Anne?"

"Almost," Anne said. Alice sensed that her daughter was nervous and asked,

"Is everything alright?"

Anne quickly nodded. "I'm just excited. We're going to get to see Locke again!"

"I'm sorry about last month. I wasn't expecting to get a job then." Alice always felt guilty when they couldn't go to Bistritz, which the children always enjoyed. Last month, it had been because an exorcist was needed.

"It's okay," Anne said, grinning. "We're going to have lots of fun this weekend."

"Really?" Anne's enthusiasm was infectious. "Well, I have to go check on your father now."

"Alice?"

Both mother and daughter laughed at Yuri's frustrated call.

"I'm coming!"

Downstairs in the store, Yuri was looking at the containers in puzzlement. "We're missing some of the roots."

"Again? Last month it was the leaves. Are you sure you didn't miss any?"

Yuri shrugged. "I've counted three times. And I looked around the store." He shook his head. "Watch, they'll pop up again and I'll look like an idiot."

"Probably." He looked at Alice with an expression of disbelief and she laughed. "Don't worry. It's only a few, right?"

"Yeah, just a handful." He filled the containers back with their original contents. "Everyone ready?"

Isaiah came down the stairs, yawning, with Anne storming after him. "We're ready!"

"Are you sure you have everything?" Alice asked.

Anne nodded. "We checked and double-checked." Both of them held large bags that were packed full.

"Then get in the car," Yuri instructed. The children opened the door, sending chimes to jingling loudly, and ran out. "Tom's coming?" he asked his wife.

"Yes, he'll come at ten to run the shop."

"Alright. He'll probably find the roots. Let's just go."

**

As they neared the castle, a bat shot into the car went to the back. Alice turned around and looked at it suspiciously, but with a blinding flash, Locke fell out of the air and onto Isaiah and Anne.

"OW!"

"Watch it, Locke! There's no room!"

Yuri chuckled from behind the steering wheel as the children pushed and elbowed each other to get more comfortable. "Did Leon teach you that?"

"No. Father taught me."

"Really?" Yuri was surprised, he knew Keith earlier had wanted Locke to wait until he was at least a teenager before teaching him anything. He slowed and parked the car in front of the steps. They all marched up, into the castle.

Margarete and Keith were standing in front of the gates. Margarete started when she saw Locke with Alice's family. "How'd you get out here Locke? I didn't see you leave…Oh," seeing his mischevious expression, she continued, "I know how." She was grinning herself.

To the surprise of both Alice and Yuri, Keith seemed rather pleased as well. "I see you're learning very quickly."

"Of course!" Locke turned to Isaiah then, "Come on, let's get your stuff in my room. Come with us Anne!" He took Isaiah's bag from him, and they ran inside.

"They've got a lot of energy, don't they?" Margarete said drily.

Yuri shrugged and then looked at the vampire. "You caved in?"

"I did not 'cave in'. I just realized that Leon would teach Locke anyway, and that it would be best to teach him myself and make sure he learned to have a sense of responsibility as well."

"You caved in."

"He caved in," Margarete confirmed. Keith looked annoyed about being undermined by his wife.

"I did not," he repeated a bit stubbornly.

"Yes you did." The spy turned to her husband to argue with him, but then discovered he was gone. She looked around and asked Alice, "Did he turn invisibe? Where is he?"

Alice just smiled. As Margarete faced the couple, she too began to smile--and then her expression became blank. A few more seconds and Yuri noticed that her shirt seemed to be getting rumpled; her lips twitched, but she maintained the poker face. Suddenly she snorted, lost all control, and burst out laughing.

"Keith! Stop it, that's not--hahahaha--stop! Stop!" Her shirt was getting more violently rumpled as the vampire went faster. "Dammit Keith, stop tickling--ahahahaha--no…no…hehehe…that's it, you're sleeping in the coffin tonight!"

"Ooh," Yuri commented. "Harsh."

Alice laughed and said, "Let's let them sort it out. We still have to put away our things."

**

Once in Locke's room, the children set their bags down and began unpacking.

Isaiah opened his bag and pulled out a book, three Thera roots and a Pure root. Anne brought out a dagger, two Mana roots and two Pure roots. At this, Locke's face fell.

"Anne, I want to fight with a sword."

"But a sword's too big for you," Anne pointed out logically. "It'll be easier for you to handle a dagger."

Locke looked at his small dagger and at the bible Isaiah had. "So what's yours?"

"She has gloves," Isaiah said softly.

His sister nodded, bringing out the black leather gloves. "I've been getting really good at fighting. This'll be a great way to test it out."

"We shouldn't do this," Isaiah said. "Dad said you weren't s'posed to fight monsters until you're older."

"I am older!" Anne insisted. "I'm almost eight."

"But-"

"Come on Isaiah," Locke said. "Don't you want to see a monster?"

"Well…" He did, but he still knew it wasn't right. But he said nothing, and the other two took this as a sign of agreement.

**

****

Author's Note: I'm sorry; this chapter was supposed to be a **lot** longer. But I've been getting the dreaded Writer's Block here, so I've decided to just divide it up into two chapters. Or three. -.-

Anyways…the next chapter is probably going to be very predictable. But it's central to the whole plot, so I can't really change it. . Which is starting to make me think that maybe the whole plot is too predictable.

…Well, I guess I'll just see when I get there.

**

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Reviewers:

Araschid: Actually, I was not yet free of school then. I still had a last day of exams on Monday, but I blew off studying to write fanfiction. Wasn't that smart of me?

My little brother is cute…sometimes. Now that there's a **new** little baby, he's not so cute. He's downright jealous.

o.o I would feel relief that Zhuzhen is not a baby factory. But then again, all little babies look like chibi old men. Really, they do.

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Leels the famous necrophiliac: o.o Cannibal corpse lyrics…

I have a question: What are you talking about with grade 4's and 1's in English?

And I've never heard of traionspotting.

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Gutterfiend: All little kids in my family went down the stairs that way. I remember doing that. Although I also remember sliding down the stairs on a pillow…. which did not end well.

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Nights Mistress: So we're lacking temper tantrums…but the most that could happen right now is Leon summoning a bunch of bats on people. Neither of the Hyuga kids are Harmonixers. Yet. . (berates herself for sheer predictability)

Hmm. Well, Halley is now….lessee…25. Still interested?

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Greyfriars: I'm attempting to give the children a few more negative traits…which should become more apparent in the next few chapters… Like right now, Isaiah is very shy. He barely talked in this chapter. -.-;;

Actually, it might not be that Margarete is **older** than Yuri (they seem about the same age to me) but that Yuri just looks young. In the first movie, I thought he was a teenager. He **looks** like he could be seventeen or eighteen. Then again, I thought Sharon and Joshua were seven or eight (although I still think they could be. They're a lot more mature than other seven-year-olds I know).

Your plotbunnies bit me. ::glares at the plotbunnies:: And apparently someone thought up the term 'plotbunny' as opposed to 'creativity demon'. Honest. I've seen an article on the care and maintenance of creativity demons.


	7. Raging Tiger

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Disclaimer: Don't own Shadow Hearts, do own three children ^^.

**

Anne lay awake, staring up at the stones in the ceiling. She pinched herself hard on the arm whenever she felt sleepy, and sometimes she'd very quietly gotten up and listened at the door. She did so again. This time there were no noises and she figured that mom and dad and Uncle Keith and Aunt Margarete had finally gone to sleep. They didn't have to worry about Uncle Leon, as he had taken off somewhere again.

The door was opened very slowly, but it still creaked. Anne winced every time she heard the creak, worried it would wake someone up. She poked her head through. The hallway was dark and empty. All parents' bedrooms were closed. Good.

She tiptoed over to the room Locke and Isaiah shared. Isaiah was easily woken up, but Locke tended to sleep as deeply as his father. Finally, Anne resorted to covering his mouth and nose, taking away his air supply.

For a moment, nothing happened, although Locke's face did turn a pretty interesting shade of purple. Then he burst awake, swatting her hand away and gasping for breath. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"You were already sleeping like the dead," Anne retorted. "And come on. I think everyone's asleep now."

Locke nodded, still wiping his eyes. "The stuff's underneath."

Isaiah and Anne looked under the bed and pulled out the weapons and items. "I think that's everything," Isaiah whispered as he checked again. "Oh yeah! The lantern."

Locke rolled his eyes. "If we don't have the lantern, we'll be fighting in the dark."

After lighting the lantern, they slowly made their way outside the castle. "One last check. We've got everything?" Locke said, louder now since he didn't have to whisper.

Anne nodded. "Yep. Now all we have to do is find a wolf."

"A wolf?" Isaiah sounded surprised. "But they're dangerous."

"Of course they are. If they weren't dangerous, they wouldn't be called monsters," Anne said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Now come on, let's go."

But Isaiah wouldn't budge. "I'm not going," he said. "We're not supposed to do this."

"Fine," Locke said before Anne could reply. "We're going though, so you'll have to go back alone." He walked off a few paces, and then, like he just remembered something, turned and called, "Oh yeah, make sure you don't run into the ghost of that headless knight."

"Headless knight?" Isaiah repeated.

Locke nodded solemnly, although the others could barely see the gesture. "Don't you know? Castles are always haunted with loads of ghosts. Come on, Anne, let's find a wolf."

Anne ran to catch up with him and whispered, "But my mom said there aren't any more ghosts in there."

"I know," he replied, "Walk a little faster."

They both sped up and suddenly Isaiah yelled, "Wait for me!" He chased after them. He was much more willing to risk it with a wolf than with a ghost. A wolf you could see.

Anne watched as he joined them and wondered if Isaiah would believe that the item shop was full of the ghosts of customers. Maybe with a bit of embellishment…

The wolves in this forest had been growing fewer over the years, but there will still some left. After fifteen or twenty minutes, Anne said, "I think we're getting close."

"How do you know?" Locke asked.

They all heard a wolf howl and Anne smiled triumphantly. "There you go!" She ran towards the sound, closely followed by Locke and Isaiah. Locke actually got the first hit in by calling a swarm of bats that attacked the wolf. Caught off guard, the wolf got punched and kicked by Anne before it realized what was happening. It quickly righted itself though, and started approaching Anne, growling fiercely. Locke wildly slashed with his dagger. He didn't have much practice and it barely nicked the wolf's skin, but that was enough to grab its attention.

It changed its mind and focused on Locke, only to be confused when the boy seemingly disappeared. There was nothing but a squeaking bat over its head. Anne took advantage of its hesitation to attack again.

"Hey Isaiah! You help too. Come on, give it a try."

Her brother nervously took a step forward, setting down the lantern. The wolf almost pounced at him, but he took the book and hit the wolf with all his strength. He managed to hit the wolf's head and knock it out.

Anne was surprised. She hadn't expected Isaiah to finish the wolf. "Good job," she praised.

Locke appeared again, looking disgruntled. "How did he knock the wolf out?"

"I think it's the book," Anne said. "That's our mom's." She took the book from her brother and knocked on the cover. "Hear that? Metal. Plus it's a holy book."

"You took your mom's book?"

"Well, she's not going to notice it's missing," Anne said. "Although last month she almost did because of that exorcism."

The young Valentine pouted. "I want the book."

"Tough luck," Anne told him. "You wanted a sword. And…well, the best we could do is a dagger. I think they'd notice if we took a sword."

"I should've taken Tyrving," Locke grumbled.

Isaiah was grinning a little. That'd actually been kind of fun…even though it was really scary too. "We beat a wolf."

His sister frowned as she looked at it though. "It's a little small. I don't think it was full-grown." She sounded disappointed.

"So?" Locke said. "It's still a wolf. Besides, I think that looks like an adult." He took one of the Mana roots and held it up. "These are the ones for magic, right?" His friends nodded and he chewed on it, making a face. "Bleh. These don't taste good."

"They're not supposed to," Anne said. "Just swallow it." She went back to the wolf. "You know, I don't think wolves are really monsters, right? Aren't there any real monsters?"

"I think there're bats…wait, they're not monsters…"

Anne kicked at the dirt. "I want to fight a monster." She sighed, knowing she wouldn't get to. "At least we got to fight a wolf. Let's go back." She started walking back towards the castle, Locke keeping at her side and Isaiah behind, carrying the lantern. Then she came to a halt. "Locke?"

"What?"

"Aren't wolves in packs?"

There was silence for only a moment after she said this. Then there were more growls, at least three. Suddenly Isaiah screamed, the lantern crashing to the ground and its light dying as Locke and Anne whirled around.

"Isaiah?!"

"Help me!"

Locke quickly summoned the bats again, knowing that they'd be most useful in the dark. Anne stumbled forward. She called out for her brother, trying to find him in the pitch black. His yells were getting more and more terrified. There was the sound of clothes ripping, and he cried out in pain.

"Leave him alone!" Anne yelled. She moved closer to where he was but then was suddenly bowled over, claws digging into her chest. She yelled and tried to throw the wolf off, but it was much too heavy.

"Anne? Isaiah?"

"Locke, do something!" Anne was quickly getting frustrated and angry. The small girl kept trying to hit the wolf, but was becoming tired…if only she was stronger, just a little stronger and she could help her brother…if she was as strong as the wolves…and then she felt it. She **was** as strong as the wolves, no, even stronger…

Then, with all her might, she shoved the wolf off of her.

**

_"Locke, do something!"_

Dark…it was nighttime, in the forest…there was pressure on his chest and saliva dripping on his face…a wolf? He felt a surge of anger and wrath, mixed with power.

He pushed the wolf off and then--

Then Yuri woke up. That dream had felt so real, like it was actually happening to him. And he had fused, hadn't he? But looking down at himself, he was normal. _Locke…that was Anne's voice. Wolves…?_

He looked outside and saw it was still nighttime. Anne should be sleeping right now. Careful not to wake his wife, he left their room and walked down the hallway and pushed the door open.

Her room was empty. Yuri worried for a minute, and then thought that Anne was probably just going to the bathroom or something. To reassure himself, he checked in on the boys' room. It was empty as well.

_Oh, shit._

**

Locke heard more growling noises, and the sound of a fight. Either Anne or Isaiah were hurting them, probably Isaiah with the bible. Then Isaiah's voice called out, "Anne? Locke?"

"Over here," Locke called. He was able to barely make out Isaiah approaching--he was holding his arm stiffly and crying. "Are you hurt?"

"Uh-huh."

Locke searched for the roots, found one and gave it to Isaiah. "This should help." After eating it, Isaiah stopped crying. "So your arm feels better?"

"No, but…I don't feel scared anymore. I feel very calm." Isaiah nodded slowly and mumbled to himself, "Very calm…"

It didn't take Locke long to figure out he'd given Isaiah a Pure root instead of a Thera. The Valentine searched again and found another root, giving it to Isaiah. Isaiah ate and swallowed. "Now?"

"It's much better now, thanks…"

"Then help me light the lantern!" Locke went back to the match box they'd brought. He tried striking the matches with shaking fingers. As the growling noises got louder, he became more frantic and started using some of the bad language he'd picked up from his uncle.

"Let me try." Isaiah took the match box and calmly striked.

"Hurry up!" Locke suddenly remembered that someone was missing. "Anne? Are you alright?" He heard no answer and felt even more panicked. "Anne!"

"Got it!" Isaiah lit the lantern. Locke turned to take the lantern so he could look for Anne--then froze. From behind Isaiah there was a wolf approaching, a wolf with red eyes. Three wolves lay behind it, bloody and torn. He couldn't see Anne.

The boy snatched up the lantern in his left hand, grabbed Isaiah's hand with his right, and bolted as fast as he could back towards the castle. Behind him the animal growled and he could hear its paws pounding on the ground as it started to give chase. Panicking, he summoned the bats on it. He wished he could change into a bat and fly away; the only thing that kept him from doing so was the struggling five-year-old.

"Come on, Isaiah!"

Isaiah stumbled along but he kept looking back. "What about Anne?"

"She's ahead of us," Locke lied. Anything to make the younger boy start running. The bats could only hold the wolf so long…

"Locke? Anne?"

"Mom!" Locke sprinted as fast as he could, breaking through bushes to get to his parents.

His mother turned as he approached, and yelled, "Locke Alexander Valentine, you are grounded!"

"Mom, Dad, there's a wolf!" Locke dropped the lantern and Isaiah's hand to run to Margarete and Keith. "I think--I think it ate Anne!"

"It what?!" Alice shouted, the ball of light she held flickering in her panic. She held the ball of light up high, staring in the direction the children had come from. The next second, the monster burst through, charging at both children and parents. "But that's…not a wolf…" Her eyes flew up, and she screamed, "Yuri, stop!"

Locke had no idea what happened next. One second, there was the growling monster; then the monster and a large bird, swooping down with its talons out to strike; then a bright flash of light blinded him; and then the monster on its side, with Anne's dad on his back a few feet away. Where had he come from?

"Does anyone have a Pure Leaf?" Alice asked suddenly. Seeing the confused expressions, she cried out, "Pure Leaf, Pure Root, anything--" She noticed the items Isaiah and Locke were carrying, and frantically grabbed and rummaged through them.

"What for?"

"Don't you recognize it? It's Raging Tiger! That's Anne!" Finding a Pure Root, she flung all the others down and rushed to Yuri. Yuri was still struggling with the fusion, trying to pin Anne down without hurting her. This proved unsuccessful when she lashed out at his cheek with one of her now abnormally long arms. Blood running down the side of his face, he pinned her down with more force the next time.

Alice knelt next to her husband. Pure Root in one hand, she forced the monster's mouth open and thrust the Pure Root. The tiger's fangs scraped her arm as she pulled it back out. Ignoring the pain, she held the mouth shut with her left hand and stroked its throat with her right, making the tiger swallow the root.

The tiger slowly began to calm down, not struggling as much. After a minute, it stopped completely, and both parents were sure Anne was in control now. But she didn't disembody.

"Anne, can you hear me?" Yuri asked. The tiger nodded. "Alright. Don't worry, you're fine now. Just picture yourself in front of a mirror. Think about how you look, and just concentrate on that."

The tiger's eyes closed, and a few seconds later, a soft glow covered her as she became Anne again. This time when she opened her eyes, they were full of tears as she started crying.

Yuri sighed and picked his daughter up. "You're fine, don't worry…" He noticed some blood on her. Alice saw it too. Taking Anne from him, she started whispering reassurances as she healed her. The young girl soon fell asleep, exhausted.

Now he turned to the two boys. "What the hell where you doing?"

"Yuri, let's go back first," Keith said. "I think the children have had enough of wolves for one night." And it might help the harmonixer calm down. Keith could see how upset he was, his hands balled into fists.

Yuri grunted and started walking back to the castle, ahead of everyone. Margarete stared at him, then shook her head and carried Locke, as the young vampire now desired to be as safe as possible. Alice continued carrying Anne as Isaiah walked in front, still perfectly calm. She wasn't sure why he was, but figured it was probably a good thing.

At the stairs into the castle, Yuri stopped and allowed the others to catch up to him. He seemed to have calmed down a bit.

"How is she?" he asked Alice.

"Fine. She had some bites and scratches, but nothing too serious." Anne stirred a bit in Alice's arms. "Are you awake Anne?"

She didn't answer but shook her head, her expression contorting. "No…" She curled up tightly, starting to tremble. "Stop…"

Alice frowned and shook her daughter lightly. "Anne? Anne, wake up." But no matter how hard she shook her, her daughter remained asleep.

Yuri suddenly swore and hastily took Anne, running into the castle.

"Hey, what's wrong?!" Margarete shouted to him.

"The assholes are having a Trial!"

"Daddy said a bad word," Isaiah remarked quietly as Yuri continued on.

**

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Author's Note: It's been a while since I started writing this chapter, so if there's a change in style or voice somewhere in here, it's probably because of that.

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Reviewers:

Ast: This was nowhere near soon. I blame this computer, which broke not once but TWICE on me. ::kicks the computer and sees it break again:: x.x

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Araschid: I actually got two little brothers within two weeks of each other. Go figure that one out.

And being shy is kinda bad. : / Well, I guess I just think it's bad because I'm shy.

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murray the moderately sober elf: You shouldn't have told me you stole it. I thought it was a creative name til I saw that part. Sorry this update wasn't quick.

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MikoNoNyte: ^^; Is Yuri driving really that bad?

The Alice resurrecting Mr. Bear remark made me laugh. ::is picturing a teddy bear floating in front of Alice with head magically reattaching as Isaiah and Anne stare in amazement::

Hey, Keith did take it pretty well, considering that her intention was to scare him anyway. And he took it a lot better than Yuri. (Yes, he **would** jump between Alice and the fly. He'd also fuse into the Seraphic Radiance as an additional precaution.)

o.o I'm surprised as well you didn't die! Two stories…

No, I don't think Yuri made up the random kissing. I just imagine Yuri's first Christmas as a teenager: taking mistletoe, finding some way to keep it constantly over his head, and kissing every cute girl he sees. ^^

Actually, what you said about writers wanting their two characters to be madly in love…I **am** one of those people. Yuri and Alice should be madly, unconditionally, forever in love. But then **someone** had to ruin it within five minutes of meeting…::glares at Yuri in kim's room::

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Loki: I dunno, two people in the coffin might be a tight fit…sorry, they didn't meet Death Emperor or Fox Face (who will never appear in this fanfic, and shoot me if he does), but the did meet Raging Tiger. And Seravi, if you're wondering what the large bird was.

::turns into a bunny with a POOF! and gnaws on carrots::

Alice: …

::hops around::

Do you have CARROT STICKS?

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Leels: Trainspotting: scary. Grade 9: even scarier. No, they haven't met a tragic end. We're not at the 'end' yet. :p

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Greyfriars: Maybe, but I still think they're older. Oh well.

Yes, Locke is cool. ^^

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Nights Mistress: One Halley, coming right up! ::locks Halley up in a cage, wraps up the cage, and mails it:: Though I might need him back for the end :p


	8. Trial and Judgment

**Disclaimer:**  I don't own Shadow Hearts.  Do own Anne and Isaiah and Locke.

**

            Yuri carefully laid Anne down on the nearest furniture, the armchair.  She was thrashing now, lashing out with her fists and feet.  "Don't worry, I'm coming," Yuri said, hoping she could hear.  Then he lay down and concentrated hard on the Graveyard.  There were clattering noises as Alice rushed in, but he shut her worried questions out.  There was no time for questions and answers.  Later, once Anne was out of danger…

            The rusted gates banged as he pulled them open.  "Anne!"

            The ornate doors of the temple were already gaping open.  They had already forced her to go beyond.  Yuri swore angrily and ran into the temple.  Then he stopped, his eyes taking in the scene.

            The Gold, Grail, and Staff Masks gazed down at the small figure on the floor, laughing.  The small creature had lethal claws and a spotted pattern on its entire body.  Otherwise, it resembled a human.  It was trembling as it stared up at him, holding a sword and wearing the mask that went with the weapon.

            Yuri was choked with rage as he spat out, "Get off my daughter, you damn mask."

            Sword mask laughed.  As its mouth opened, so did Anne's thin lips behind the mask.  "Daddy…daddy…"  Her tears were already spilling over onto the mask and Yuri could see how terrified she was.

            "GET OFF HER!"

            The emerald mask smirked.  "Scared, boy?  Bring back any memories?  Ah, memories.  That reminds me…"  As he spoke, Anne screamed, fair skin changing into tawny fur.  She brought both arms up to her head and clutched fistfuls of shortening brown hair.  Her chest heaved with sobs muted by the Sword Mask.

            The Harmonixer wanted desperately to destroy the mask.  Trying to keep his rage inside, he said, "She's a child.  She's too young for the Trial."

            Now Staff Mask was the one laughing.  "She is a young thing, isn't she?  Even younger than you…the second youngest Harmonixer in the line."  The smirk growing, he added, "If she survives to be one, that is."

            "Age matters nothing to us," Gold Mask declared.  "She has fused, and now it is time to see if she is worthy of that power."

            "You're destroying her!" Yuri yelled, unable to hold his anger anymore.  His fists clenched and he knelt by Anne, trying to seize the Sword Mask.  Instead, he found the sword up at his throat, held by a wide-eyed Anne.

            "None of your interfering," the mask said coldly, as Anne stammered, "Daddy…it's not me…the sword…"

            "I know," Yuri told Anne, backing away.  He glared at the tear-stained mask.  "I swear, if you don't get off her right now…"

            "You should be grateful," Grail Mask said.  "Here is another fusion soul for you to use."  The seven-year-old cried out, and Yuri could see the joints of her knees beginning to twist painfully, to bend as a cat's did.

            "Shut the fuck up!  This is my daughter!"

            "Not for much longer," Sword Mask taunted.  Anne tried to speak, but now all that came out was growling.  The change was almost complete; she bore little resemblance to a human girl.  "Ah, what would be a suitable name for this one?  Do you want to do the honors, boy?  After all, you **are** her father…"

            "I will kill you," the Harmonixer said, his whole body trembling.  "If you don't stop it…I am going to kill every one of you…"

            "Ohoho.  What a useless threat," the sapphire mask gloated.  "You may defeat us, but you can never kill us…you should know that very well boy."

            Yuri knew now there was nothing he could say to stop the masks.  Instead he concentrated on Anne.  If he couldn't stop her transformation, it would soon be complete.

            "Anne, he's trying to scare you, isn't he?"  The feline child nodded as her ears began to point upwards.  With a look of surprise, she put her free hand to her left ear.  She became more panicked as she felt the fur on one side and how high it had gone on her head.  Yuri grabbed that hand.  "Don't think about it!" He admonished her.  "You're still human.  That's all that's important."

            Sword Mask's smirk grew wider.  "Still human?  Your father must be blind, Anne.  Look down at yourself.  Are humans covered in fur?"

            "C'mon Anne," Yuri tried to cajole her.  "Who are you going to trust, me or some stupid mask?"  She wanted to believe him, but the mask was right.  People didn't have fur, animals did.  She was a monster.  She looked like one, she sounded like one.  When her father saw her doubt, he said, "Sword Mask tried to turn me into a monster too."

            Anne was surprised and looked over her father.  He seemed completely normal.  So that meant…she could be normal too, right…?

            Yuri nodded, understanding what she was thinking.  "You'll be fine.  Just like when you were stuck as the tiger.  It's the same thing."

            The girl shut her eyes, trying to focus.  She could see herself in front of a mirror.  She had brown eyes and brown hair and brown spots…

            _You're going to be trapped as a monster! _the mask told her.  Try as she might, she couldn't see herself without the spots and fur.  Her frustration fueled the fear inside, and she could feel a tail growing, curling around her right leg.  Anne screamed, a growl that built into a shriek, and Yuri grabbed her shoulders, trying to snap her out of it.

            "Anne!  Anne!"  Her eyes flew open, focusing on her father.  "Trust me.  You can do it."  But she shook her head.  It was too late, she couldn't do anything.  "What about Isaiah and Mom?"  He was pleading now.  He couldn't see any traces of humanity in Anne, and wasn't sure if she **was** human anymore.  But her eyes…they were still the same.  That was a good sign, wasn't it?  "They'll be really sad if you don't change back.  And…I'll be really sad, too."  She could see his mouth trembling a bit, could see how worried he was.  "Please?"

            She was distracted from the fear by this thought.  She didn't want to leave everyone.  She already knew she'd be all alone, but she hadn't thought of everyone else.  They would be sad, wouldn't they?

            Anne was sure they were still human.  So she focused on them, seeing their faces.  Isaiah trying hard to help mommy run the store…and Daddy and Aunt Margarete, laughing at a joke as Mommy frowned at them…Uncle Keith and Leon, both arguing as the other adults tried not to laugh…and Locke, exploring every hiding place of the castle with her.

            She felt the tail shrink and a rush of relief.  Seeing her father's joyful expression, she knew it was working.  She was changing back.

            But Sword Mask was determined not to let this Harmonixer escape.  Awful images, of birdlike monsters picking at her stomach, tearing it open…if she didn't stop them, they'd kill her…

            Anne pushed it away.  That was how they had first tricked her into changing.  She wasn't going to fall for it again.  Daddy was right here…she didn't have to fear anything.  She concentrated hard; slowly changing…slowly…she tried to let go of the sword stuck in her hand…

            And then it dropped.  Sword Mask flew off her, cursing as it reattached itself to the sword.  Yuri quickly picked her up, hugging her.  "You all right?" he asked.

            She looked over herself.  No tail, no spots.  Quickly she tried to dry the rest of her tears.  "Yeah."

            Yuri laughed at the masks.  "God, you guys are getting rusty!  You can't even beat a seven-year-old?  I mean, I know she's good—she's my kid after all—"  He smiled at Anne, making her smile in return, before turning back to the masks, "But still, c'mon!"

            "Anne May Hyuga, step forward for your judgment," Grail Mask intoned.

            Yuri wondered what it meant.  Judgment?  She had passed, hadn't she?  But maybe it happened for every Harmonixer that passed.

            "Step forward," the mask said, looking impatient.

            Hesitating, Yuri put his daughter down, keeping his eyes on the masks.  If they tried anything, he'd fuse in a heartbeat.

            Anne looked up at her father, uncertain whether to go forward or not.  He gave a small nod to her, still staring forward at the council of four.  She took three small steps forward, gazing on the Sword Mask.  It was still glaring at her.

            "Anne May Hyuga, you have failed."

            "What?!" Yuri demanded, striding forward.  "Are you blind?!  She's still human, you guys didn't do anything to her!"

            "It's obvious the girl would've failed if not for your interference," Staff Mask countered.

            "Three times now, boy, you have cheated us," Sword Mask spat out.  "But this time we will have our justice."

            Yuri bristled, but then shook his head.  "What's my punishment?"

            "Your punishment?  Your punishment is your daughter's."

            The Harmonixer turned on Gold Mask, outraged.  "No!  I was the one who cheated.  She did nothing wrong, so don't you dare--!"

            "Anne May Hyuga," Grail Mask said, cutting Yuri off.

            "Y-yes?" Anne said uncertainly.  She didn't like how this was going.  How were they going to punish her?  They weren't going to change her into a monster again, were they?

            "You passed, so we cannot take you now."  She nodded, not really understanding.  "But you would have failed if your father hadn't come."

            "You don't know that!" Yuri yelled.  He thought of fusing, but he couldn't start a fight with Anne in here, and as Grail Mask had pointed out, defeating them was useless.  He could only protest…but his protest was ignored.

            "One day we will come for you Anne.  Usually the day a Harmonixer comes to us, he is destroyed.  However, for your father's cheating and cowardice, you will not be destroyed.  Instead, you will be our slave for all of eternity.  Has your mother told you of hell?"  Anne nodded, already frightened by the idea of being destroyed.  "We will make your existence a very hell.  You will wish every day that you were never born.  This is your fate.  You have your dear father to thank for it," the mask ended maliciously, looking on the older harmonixer with contempt.

            The masks disappeared, fading into the black.  Anne turned to her father, asking, "Daddy?  They can't really do that, can they?"

            He didn't say anything.  His silence scared her.  Why wouldn't he answer?  She walked over to him, grabbing his hand.  "They can't, right?"  He still wouldn't tell her and her voice became shaky.  "Right?"

            "I…don't know…" he said uncertainly.  It did nothing to assuage his daughter's fears.  He was aware of that by her stubby fingernails pinching into his callused hands.  What on earth could he say?  "Let's get out of here, Anne."

            She nodded and followed him, grasping tightly by the hand.  She wanted to ask him to pick her up and carry her, but he was so silent.  He wouldn't even look at her as they approached the large gates.

            Both of them woke up, surrounded by the other adults and children.  "Was it the masks?" Alice asked.  Yuri nodded.  "Well, at least everyone's fine."

            Alice noticed her husband staring at her, making her feel uncomfortable.  His eyes were near amber in color.  Anne was huddled in the armchair, hugging her legs as she watched Yuri.

            "No?" she asked.  They didn't seem hurt, but it was obvious something was bothering them.  "What's wrong?…"

            Yuri got up and walked away, shaking his head as he walked down to their bedroom.  Alice turned to their daughter, hoping to get an explanation.  "Anne, what happened?"

            "The masks tried to turn me into a monster, but daddy helped me.  But…he wasn't supposed to," she said softly.

            At hearing the first part, Alice gasped and examined her daughter, satisfying herself that she was physically fine.  "You're all right?"

            Anne shook her head and then reached out for her mother.  Alice took her as she began crying, patting her back reassuringly.  "What's wrong?" she whispered.

            "Daddy helped me change back," Anne told her.  She hugged the blue cloth of her mother's long dress and rubbed her face on her mother's shoulder.  "But the masks said he'd cheated too much, and I'd be punished for it.  I'm going to be their slave."

            Alice shook her head, patting down Anne's hair.  "No you're not.  Daddy and I won't let them do anything to you."

            "Is daddy mad at me?" Anne asked.

            "No, he's just upset," Alice reassured her.

            Margarete looked down at her son.  "I hope you've learned your lesson."  Locke nodded quickly.  "Alright, but if you ever do this again…"  She trailed off ominously but then suddenly hugged him.  "Just don't, alright?"  Locke nodded, still mute, and his mother turned to Keith.  "I'm going to put him in bed."

            Keith agreed and then looked down at Isaiah.  The child had been very calm through the whole ordeal, and the vampire wondered why.  "How are you feeling, Isaiah?"

            Isaiah had been watching Alice comfort Anne, but he faced the vampire when asked.  "I'm fine.  Mommy healed me."

            Keith raised an eyebrow.  "Weren't you scared out there?"

            "Yeah, but then Locke gave me a Pure root."

            The vampire shook his head in disbelief, looking after his wife and son as they went down the hallway.  That would explain it.  Alice had heard too, and smiled wanly, somewhat grateful she only had to comfort one child.  "I think you should go to sleep," she suggested to Anne.

            Anne nodded, her head resting on Alice's shoulder.  Alice held her hand out for Isaiah and took him to Locke's room, then, still carrying Anne, brought her to her room.

            "Mom?"  Anne asked while she was being tucked in.  "You know how daddy saved you?"

            "From Roger Bacon?"

            "Yeah."  Anne hesitated, and then asked, "Do you think he'll save me?"

            Alice thought about how her husband had stormed off.  He shouldn't have done that.  He should've—he should've comforted Anne.  Her daughter sounded so uncertain, but she was sure.  "Yes, he will."  She kissed Anne's forehead.  "Sleep tight."

            Anne still seemed uncertain as she closed her eyes.  Alice watched her daughter for a few minutes at the door, waiting until her breath was slow and steady before leaving.  She walked down the hallway, her temper with Yuri growing each minute until, putting her hand on the doorknob, she planned to give him a lecture.

            She never turned the knob.  A muffled sob stopped her.

            Yuri was crying.  Alice had never heard Yuri cry before and, almost without thinking, tried to make out what he was feeling.  A wave of fear and shame washed through her, nearly overwhelming her, before she turned away from the door, feeling ashamed herself.  She wondered if she should even go in; she could feel his desire to be alone, to have no one know he was crying.  Respecting his wishes, she went back down the hallway.  She curled up on the sofa, pulling a pillow underneath her head.  This would have to be good enough for tonight.

            She dreamed that the masks were laughing as they led Anne away into a black nothingness…and Anne followed, never looking back even though Alice called her name continually.

            Alice reached toward Anne and felt soft cloth.  She opened her eyes and saw a blue blanket covering her.  Yuri made sure it covered her shoulders, then froze as he realized he'd woken his wife up.

            "Sorry," he whispered.

            His eyes were still red from crying.  He probably thought it wasn't noticeable though, and Alice did nothing to disillusion him.  She only shook her head, and then scooted into the sofa, motioning for Yuri to lie down besides her.  He actually hesitated a second, making her smile.  "Do I have to ask twice?" she said teasingly.  Yuri lay down and Alice spread the blanket over the two of them.  He faced away from her, both of them lying on their sides.  "What exactly happened in the Graveyard?  You said something about a trial, didn't you?"

            "Every Harmonixer goes through the trial after their first fusion," Yuri said in a flat voice.  He sounded tired.  "One of the masks tries to use their worst vice against them."

            _Fear, Anger, Envy, and Hate._  "If the Harmonixer passes…"

            "Then they get to live.  But if they fail, they become a fusion soul.  Their element is based off whatever fusion soul they used.  Anne would've been an Earth class fusion."

            _No wonder he was so worried._  Alice wrapped her arms around his stomach, trying to comfort him.  "Anne was going to fail, wasn't she?"

            "Yeah."  His voice sounded choked.  "She looked like a cat…they were almost done."

            "Then it's a good thing you stepped in," she said.

            "She'd be better off a cat than a slave to them," Yuri said bitterly.

            Alice was outraged at this statement.  "How can you possibly say that?!"  When she got no answer, she softened her tone.  "Look, it'll be fine.  It's just like Atman, isn't it?  All you have to do is defeat them, and that'll destroy the contract.  Won't it?"

            "It won't work," Yuri said heavily.

            "Why not?"

            "Because.  They're **her** masks, she has to be fighting against them for them to be defeated.  She'd be killed in one hit."

            Alice thought for a minute, and then finally hugged him tightly, reassuringly.  "Then, let's do this.  We don't know when they'll come, so let's assume we have some time…maybe a few years."

            "Maybe.  They didn't come after me for a while," Yuri said.

            "You failed your trial?" Alice said in surprise.  
            "Well, I didn't really fail…I escaped from it mid-trial."

            "How on earth did you do that?"

            "They didn't expect someone to tear himself in half just to escape."

            This took Alice a few seconds to piece together.  "Fox Face?"

            "Fox Face," Yuri said wearily.  He had only remembered the trial after joining again with Fox Face, and it sure answered why Fox Face had been so screwed up.  Sword Mask could pull some pretty nasty tricks.

            A moment later, Alice continued, "Well…so we assume we have a few years.  Let's get Anne ready for a fight with the masks."

            Yuri thought about it.  She was pretty strong physically—for her age, of course.  She could improve on that.  They'd have to work really hard on her fusing though.  "It'll take so long to get her to that stage…"

            "We have to try."

            Yuri nodded.  "Alright.  Yeah, let's do that."  At least it'd be something.  And if she got strong enough to just **survive** against them, it'd probably be enough if Alice and him were with her.  He yawned, his mouth stretching wide.

            Alice smiled, glad her husband sounded more cheerful.  "That's good.  You want to plan the rest in the morning?"

            Yuri was already asleep.

**

            Anne, surprisingly, had had a good night, too deep in sleep to dream.  She was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes as her father carried her to the car.  She liked how nice he was being to her today, and snuggled closer to his shirt.  Yuri was trying to make up for the night before.

            "You're sure you'll be alright?" Margarete asked skeptically.

            Alice nodded, her silver cross swinging with the motion.  "Yes.  Yuri and I have it all planned out."

            "Well, if those masks give you any trouble, come to us and we'll help you give them a thrashing," she said with a wink.  Margarete still loved a good fight.  She turned as Keith came to the door and asked, "Is he still asleep?"

            "He says he doesn't want to come out."  Keith shrugged.  "Perhaps he's still tired."

            "Probably."  Margarete looked up and groaned.  "Oh, not now, he's back."

            Alice looked up as well to see a golden bat fly in one of the windows.  She laughed.  "I thought you liked him Margarete."

            "Yes, but he either plays with Locke or bugs Keith.  And since Locke is out, Keith'll be in a bad mood tonight."

            The vampire shook his head.  "I have patience with him."

            "Yeah, about this much."  Margarete held her thumb and index finger apart a few centimeters.

            Isaiah tugged on Alice's long skirt.  "Mommy…"

            "Alright, alright, we're going," she said with a laugh.  She turned and walked away, waving goodbye to Keith and Margarete.

**

**Author's Note:**  My explanation for fusion souls and Fox Face are different from my explanations in Shadow Souls.  The reason for the differences is because they suit the storyline better in each fic.  ^.~  Now, explanations for the explanations:

The fusion souls theory explains why there's such redundancy.  It always did seem kind of odd.

The Fox Face theory just popped into my mind because he wears a mask.  I got the idea for both the trial and how he was formed from that.

**

**Reviewers:**

I am really sorry.  Fanfiction.net will not let me check reviews, and I seem to have deleted all my e-mails with reviews for the last chapter.  I thought I saved it in another document, but I can't seem to find it.


	9. Fusion's Flaws

            "Alright Anne," Yuri said, watching his daughter, "Are you ready?"

            Anne nodded.  "Ready."

            "Today we're going to see how well you can fuse.  Alice, you got the leaves?"  He looked over to the right of the store's door where Alice was standing, Pure leaves gathered up in her apron.  Isaiah was standing next to her, watching with curiosity.  "I guess that's everything…"

            "Daddy," Isaiah called, "Is it going to be the same monster?"

            "Yeah.  We'll stick with Raging Tiger for a while.  It's a bit hard to get the others, so since she's already got him…"  Yuri shrugged.  It was the easiest way to do this.

            "But…"  Anne was less certain now.  "Daddy, last time I fused I almost hurt Isaiah and Locke.  I don't want to fuse with Raging Tiger."

            Yuri sighed.  It was understandable, but right now Raging Tiger was the only fusion she had.  There was no way he was bringing her in the Graveyard to earn another one; partly because she wasn't strong enough and partly because the last visit was still fresh in his mind.  "Look Anne, I'll show you.  You can control him, you just have to learn how."

            So saying, he concentrated and fused into Raging Tiger.  Anne gasped, seeing her father disappear into the fusion soul.  She took a step back.

            But the tiger simply stood there.  Even though the eyes were red, they were her father's eyes, watching her patiently.

            Slowly Anne moved forward to meet her father.  She traced a finger along the deadly claws, then looked up at the ruff of white fur.  "You got a beard, daddy," she said, beginning to smile.

            Alice laughed at the remark and then encouraged Isaiah forward.  She wanted him to be reassured as well that fusion souls were not necessarily dangerous.  Both children touched the fur on his arms, though Alice noticed Isaiah was much more cautious about it, even after a few minutes.

            Yuri disembodied and then said, "And when you master all the fusions, I'll let you get the best one.  You want to see?"

            Anne nodded and then stepped back again as there was a bright flash.  Now the Seraphic Radiance was standing in her father's place.  She only looked for a second at the more human-like fusion before shouting, "Daddy, you're indecent!"

            Alice couldn't help it.  She doubled over, laughing so hard she started crying.  She could barely hold on to the Pure leaves in her apron as she shook.  Anne was steadfastly looking away and Isaiah, being young and a boy, couldn't see what the fuss was about.  Yuri disembodied, very put out by his daughter's reaction.  He gave Alice a sullen look but the exorcist only continued laughing.  Maybe in a few years Anne would have some respect for the fallen god.  'Indecent'.  Yuri rolled his eyes.

            "Alright, ready to try?"

            The girl quickly nodded, eager to begin her own fusion.  Her small hands balled into fists as she closed her eyes and concentrated.  A minute passed.  She began trembling with how hard she was trying, but nothing happened.  "Come on Anne," Alice called.

            Finally she shook her head and opened her eyes.  "It's weird.  I did it before, but now it's really hard."

            "Are you concentrating on Raging Tiger?  Remember how I looked?"

            "Yeah, I'm picturing him, but he won't come."

            Yuri thought and then smiled.  "Wait a sec.  I think I've got something that'll help."  He went into the store, leaving his family waiting.

            "Mom?  What's dad getting?"

            Alice shook her head.  "I'm not sure."

            The children distracted themselves by drawing figures in the dirt.  Isaiah drew lines and circles while Anne drew kitties with long whiskers and large eyes.  Isaiah crossed over one of the kitten's eyes and Anne made a cat face with one of his circles, each destroying the other's drawings.  Neither of them minded though.

            "Mommy, what's taking him so long?" Isaiah asked.

            "He's operating on daddy time."

            "Add on fifteen minutes?" Anne said, making a tabby cat, with wide bands down the back

            Alice smiled at how well her daughter knew Yuri.  "So about ten more minutes."

            Ten minutes later, Yuri emerged with a broad grin.  He tossed a small object to Anne.  She stared at the brooch as it glowed in her hands, coating her skin with red waves.  "What is it?"

            "It's called a Flare Brooch," Yuri told her.  "Specially made for us harmonixers.  It makes the fusion souls easier to control.  Now hold onto that and try again."

            She gripped the brooch tightly and closed her eyes again.  Her small muscles tensed as she felt the tiger rising within her.  The Flare Brooch fell from her hands as she changed into the tiger form, rolling along the grass to rest in forget-me-nots.  Isaiah picked up the Flare Brooch, pouting when he noticed its shine was gone.

            "See, you can do it just fine," Yuri told his daughter.  His proud smile faded when she looked up at him, growling.  Shit.  She'd lost control that fast?  "Alice," he shouted, and caught the Pure leaf thrown to him.  At the same time, Anne lunged at him, her claws aimed to disembowel him.  He easily caught the slower girl though and twisted her arm behind her back, careful not to harm Anne.

            Isaiah looked up, seeing his sister squirming in their father's grip.  Yuri tried to feed her the Pure leaf but she turned away with a contemptuous snarl.  He released his grip briefly to grab her jaw, forcing it open, and stuffed the leaf into her mouth.  After she had calmed down, he instructed her to disembody.

            "Alright.  When did you lose control?" Yuri asked.  "How long were you in control?"

            Anne thought about it, then, very red, answered, "I don't think I was in control at all."

            Yuri sighed and patted her on the head.  "Alright, don't worry about it.  You'll get the hang of it.  You want to try it again?  Know what you did wrong?"

            "I think so.  I just have to remember," she said.  Her stomach tightened in her nervousness.  She shook her head, trying to clear it, and then looked around.  Isaiah was holding the Flare Brooch, examining it.  "Isaiah, I need that."

            Her brother looked up in surprise and came over to her.  He gave her the Flare Brooch, starting when it instantly began glowing in her hands.  Alice noticed the change and wondered if it meant Isaiah was not a Harmonixer at all or if he had yet for his gift to awaken.

            Anne closed her eyes again.  This time the fusion came faster.  Yuri took that as a good sign—though he reconsidered when she darted towards him, rather quickly.  His eyes widened when he realized she wasn't going towards him.  He turned and shoved Isaiah out of the way, catching Anne as she tried to get past him.  "Alice, can you give it to her?" Yuri asked, holding onto his daughter with both hands.  Anne was struggling to get at Isaiah, who only stared up at her with wide, crystal blue eyes.  If he lost his grip for even a second, the fusion soul might hurt Isaiah.

            Alice fed Anne the Pure root and Yuri sighed with relief as she disembodied.  "Are you alright Isaiah?  I didn't push you too hard, did I?"  Yuri turned to his son to discover him in tears.  "Hey, hey, I'm sorry—"

            "You didn't hurt him," Alice told him.  "He's just scared."  Unlike the other night, Isaiah had not had any Pure roots and reacted to a scare as any normal five-year-old would.  He rubbed his eyes with his messy hands, getting his face all dirty, and continued sobbing.  The fall had given him some small scratches, but even healing didn't calm him down.  Alice picked him up, letting him cry into her blouse.  "I'll take him inside.  You'll be fine right?"

            Yuri nodded.  "Yeah, that'll be better."  It'd actually make it easier, since he wouldn't have to worry about Isaiah getting hurt.  He watched as they went back into the store, then turned to Anne.  She was looking at the ground.

            "Sorry," he thought she whispered.

            "It's not a big deal Anne.  You just need to learn how to control it."

            She shook her head, still staring at his boots.  "I can't do it."

            "Don't say can't.  I know you can do this.  I just want you to try one more time.  If it doesn't work, it doesn't work.  But I want you to try."

            "One more time?"

            "Three's a charm, right?" Yuri said, smiling.  Anne looked up at him, rubbed a stray tear from the corner of her eye, and nodded.  He bent down and picked up the Flare Brooch, handing it to her.  "Alright.  Concentrate."

            "You want to help me make dinner?" Alice asked Isaiah after cleaning him up, trying to distract him from what had happened.  She started the stove and set down some water to boil, planning to make some pasta.

            Isaiah watched as she got out the ingredients for a sauce, humming a short tune to herself.  "Mommy, am I a Harmonixer like daddy and Anne?"

            "Who knows.  You might take after me."  Alice took out a tomato and began chopping it up.

            "An exorcist?"  Isaiah frowned.  "But I don't want to work with ghosts.  They're really scary."

            Alice smiled.  "Well, yes, some of them are very scary," she said, "But you don't have to be an exorcist.  I meant you might be Light-classed, like I am, or you might have Demon Eyes."

            "Oh."  Isaiah mulled over this for a while, in the meantime helping his mother by pulling out food from the pantry.  "I think I have Demon Eyes, mommy."

            "Why do you think that?" Alice asked, intrigued.

            "Cause my eyes are the same as yours."

            Alice laughed at his plain logic and corrected him.  "Demon eyes doesn't mean these eyes."  She pointed to her light blue eyes.  "It means you have extraordinary spiritual sight.  It doesn't have anything to do with the color of your eyes."

            "Oh."  Alice had lost Isaiah in her explanation; he was left wondering how a person could have more than two eyes and where his mother's Demon Eyes were.  Maybe she really did have eyes on the back of her head.

            "What class do I have?" he asked instead.

            "Hmm…I'm not too sure.  Let's try something.  Put your hands together."

            Isaiah cupped his hands together like he was expecting candy.  "Like this?"

            Alice paused in her cooking to face him.  She nodded.  "That's right, like that.  Now try to make a light."

            "A light?"

            His mother cupped her hands together in the same way he had.  With barely any thought, a ball of light burst into existence, brightening everything in the small kitchen.  The contrast between shadows became starker, more startling, and the grain in the wood counters seemed to move with every flicker.  "Like this.  You might not be able to make a light, but—well, give it a try."

            The little boy stared at his hands, imagining a ball of light just as big as his mother's, maybe even bigger.  It took a few minutes and a small prayer, and he was disappointed by the results: a flicker just along his right hand, lasting only two seconds before disappearing.

            "There," Alice said.  "You're a Light class."

            Isaiah tried to bring up the flicker again, make it stronger, but it wouldn't come back.  The light had gone.  Finally he gave an aggravated sigh and Alice shook her head.  Both Anne and Isaiah were so impatient when it came to getting better; she wondered why.  Maybe it was because Locke could use magic so easily, but they should know it was a natural talent for a vampire.

            Outside Anne was disembodying.  She'd lost control again, but she'd lasted a little longer than the first two times and felt encouraged by the improvement.  "I want to try again," she said.

            Yuri's eyebrows rose, but he shrugged.  "Sure, go ahead."  He didn't see the harm in it.  The more practice she got, the faster she'd be ready to face the masks and the more likely they'd be able to stop them…if they even had a chance in the first place.  Yuri pushed away the thought.  The Masks could not win.

            Raging Tiger had been easier to control with fewer people around…maybe if it was just she and her dad, Anne could control him.  At least, that's what she thought.  She fused again, but this time, it felt different.  Raging Tiger knew there were fewer people now, and it was even angrier knowing she was trying to control it this way.  Its rage was directed at her, it felt like someone was shouting at her, but the words were muted into a wave of fury.

            She held the fusion for a few minutes, struggling to keep control as he became angrier and angrier…and she could start to hear individual words, most of them curses…they were so hateful that she lost control and struck at her father.

            Instantly Yuri grabbed her and she felt her mouth being pried open as the rather foul-tasting Pure leaf was put in.

            "That was good Anne.  Ready to head in?"

            She shook her head.  "One more time."

            "Alright, but that's it.  You look kind of tired.  You don't have to push yourself…"

            "No, I want to!" Anne insisted.  Yuri was doubtful that another try was wise—she really did seem tired—but if she wanted to, he wouldn't stop her.  He nodded and she started again, hoping the Flare Brooch would calm Raging Tiger down enough.

            It wasn't enough.  The fusion soul was swearing at her again, its language becoming fouler when she didn't stop her attempt.  She could do this.  She could keep control.

Yuri was watching his daughter with some concern; she hadn't yet fused and she was whispering to herself with a cross expression, rebuking the fusion soul.  He wondered if she needed another Pure leaf and hoped sincerely she did not take after her mother in this regard.  Alice, much as he loved her, would make an abysmal Harmonixer.

            Anne began seeing things in her mind, violent scenes.  She saw a fist coming for her face and then felt blood gushing from her nose.  She was beating the other person, punching and kicking him, then digging her boot into his stomach.  It was dark, and a knife in her callused hands glinted, and there was a girl with long dark hair and she was dragging her into the alleyway…

            She yelled suddenly and the fusion took place.  But even after the fusion was complete, she continued screaming as the scene continued, quickly drawing both Alice and Isaiah's attention.  The front door banged open as they came to see what was going on.

            "What's wrong?" Alice demanded.  She put a hand on Isaiah's head, keeping him away from the howling tiger.

            Anne disembodied, kneeling when her legs refused to support her.  Yuri hovered over her, watching her anxiously.  "Are you alright?"

            "I don't. feel good," Anne whispered.  Tears started falling down her face, but when Yuri bent down to pick her up, she backed away from him and then ran into the house.

            "Anne!"  Alice walked into the house, passing the store counter and heading upstairs, where the bedrooms were.  She heard a banging noise as Anne slammed her door shut.  "Anne, what's wrong?"

            "I don't want to be a Harmonixer!  I can't, I CAN'T!"

            Alice looked at her husband who had joined her at the door, but he was just as baffled as her.  "Yeah you can, Anne, you did all right," he said, thinking she might be upset about not being able to control the fusion.

            "I don't want to fuse!  I'm never going to fuse again!"  Inside her room, Anne yanked her blanket over herself, wiping her tears with it.

            "You need to learn—"

            "I don't want to."

            "Anne," Yuri pleaded, "you have to."

            It was silent in Anne's room for a moment.  Yuri hoped that she was calming down, but then she choked out, "I hate you daddy."

            Yuri stared at the wood as what his daughter had said sank in.  Hated him for what?  That he had doomed her to the service of the masks, or that he was making her fuse so she could avoid that destiny?  Either way he deserved her loathing.  He had to be the worst father in the whole history of the world; what other father had damned their kid?

            "I'm sorry," he told her.  Not that it changed anything, but he was.  He turned slowly and walked downstairs, hearing Alice's footsteps behind him.

            "Shouldn't we talk to her?"

            "She's already mad," Yuri mumbled.  "She doesn't want to talk."

            Alice watched his back as he started to gather cooking supplies in the kitchen.  He wasn't actually doing anything useful, just trying to occupy himself; she realized that when he took out both brown sugar and oil and vinegar.

            "Yuri, put those back," she directed him, shaking her head.  This was why he wasn't allowed to cook; he couldn't even pretend he knew how to.  How he had survived on his own without giving himself food poisoning was beyond her.

            Alice took the onions from Isaiah, her eyes still on her husband.  He was idle at the counter, looking down at it morosely.  She leaned over and brushed her finger over his eye, startling him out of his no doubt depressing thoughts.

            "You're crying," she said quietly.

            Yuri quickly swiped at his eyes, muttering, "It's those stupid onions."

            "I haven't cut them yet."

            The Harmonixer quickly realized she was right after seeing the whole onion and said, "Yeah, but I know it's coming.  My eyes are getting ready."  He chuckled, again wiping at his eyes.  He wasn't sure if there were more tears but didn't check.

            "I think we got more roots today.  Would you sort them?  They're in the hallway," she said.

            "Oh, yeah.  Sure."

            Alice sighed as Yuri left the kitchen.  He would never admit when he was depressed, forgetting that she could read him like a book.  And she felt it was pointless to press the issue with him, since he was as obstinate as a mule.

            Anne didn't really hate him; she was just upset.  Why didn't he realize that?  Why was he letting it bother him?  She began chopping up the onion with more force, blinking rapidly as the fumes made her eyes tear, then tossed the chunks in.  The smell kept bothering her as she cooked, and finally she put the knife down, deciding to check on Yuri.

            Their house was both a home and a store; the store was in the foremost part and the kitchen and dining room in the back.  A staircase in the hallway led to the upstairs, which had the children's rooms and theirs.  Alice found Yuri on the staircase with a large box pulled up next to him.  Thera, Mana, and Pure roots lay in piles on the floor, all sorted appropriately.  He was already a third into the box.

            "Dinner should be ready soon," Alice announced, busily wiping her hands off on a yellow rag.

            "I can smell it," Yuri said, looking up briefly to smile at her.  His smile seemed pained, and it quickly disappeared.

            "She's not mad at you Yuri."

            "Oh? Yeah, I know."

            Alice knelt down and looked him in the eyes.  "Then why are you moping?"

            It seemed like there was a rain cloud in the house, centered on Yuri, who wouldn't make eye contact again.  Alice shook her head.  "Look, I'll go talk to Anne and get her to calm down.  Trust me, she's not mad at you."

            "She should be."

            "No," Alice said.  "You only did what you thought was best.  I would have done the same thing at the Trial.  _It's not your fault_," she insisted.

            "You would have done it too?"

            "Of course I would've!" Alice insisted.  "I'm going to take some dinner up to her, and we'll talk.  She's probably calmed down by now.  You and Isaiah can start eating—but say grace first!" she reminded her husband.  Well, even if he had forgotten, Isaiah would have probably reminded him.

            So with a plate of spaghetti covered in meat sauce, Alice headed upstairs.  She knocked on Anne's door.  "Anne?"

            "Yes," came a muffled reply.  Alice wondered what her daughter was doing.  She opened the door and found a large lump in the bed sheets.

            "Anne, I have dinner for you," she said, trusting it would tempt the girl out.

            "I'm not hungry."

            Alice sighed and set the meal down, then raised the blankets.  She saw Anne's back turned to her.  "I think we need to talk Anne."

            Anne maneuvered underneath the blankets so her mother could see her face, which was still red from crying.  "Yes?"

            The exorcist reached under the covers and easily pulled her daughter out, setting her on her lap.  "Why were you crying?"

            "Because—because I don't want to fuse anymore."

            "Why not?  Daddy showed you.  It's perfectly safe once you've learned it."

            "Why is he making me fuse with him?  I hate that tiger."

            Alice had a feeling that this was why Anne was really upset.  "Did Raging Tiger do something?"

            "I think he killed someone."

            It shocked Alice when she heard that.  But then, as she thought about it, why should it be so surprising?  The vice of Earth classes tended to be rage, an emotion that could easily lead to violence.  It was only surprising because Yuri hadn't told her first.  Why hadn't he said anything?  "What makes you think that?" she said with a soothing voice.

            "The last time I tried, I started seeing things.  He was showing me something.  There was this girl with really pretty hair.  It was really long.  And then, he grabbed her.  I know it was him, because he had different hands.  He had hands like Daddy's, all hard.  And he had a knife."

            "And then?" Alice asked.  But she already knew where this was going.  And she did not like it one bit.  Yuri couldn't have known about this, or he would definitely have told her.

            "Then I fused, 'cause he let me," Anne said.  "And I thought it would stop.  But it didn't.  He started hurting her, and then he took his knife and cut her—he was cutting her up.  And I didn't want to see it anymore, so I tried to look away, but he wouldn't let me," Anne said.  She was crying again, starting to shake in her mother's arms.  "And I can't fuse again, but daddy says I have to—I don't have to, right Mommy?"  She looked up into Alice's blue eyes, which were also starting to tear.  "Please?  I don't want to..."

            "We won't make you fuse again," Alice said reassuringly.  "Just get some rest.  You'll feel better after you've slept."  She left the plate, thinking her daughter might be hungry after a nap.  Anne disappeared again, covering herself up and making sure there were no holes in her blanket defense.  The blanket was wrapped tightly around her little body as she tried to forget what she'd seen and sleep.

            Isaiah and Yuri were clearing their places downstairs.  It was clear from the amount of spaghetti there was left that neither of them had eaten very much.  Without a word, Alice served both of them another plate, then served herself as well.  She set to eating, cutting a portion of spaghetti and then wrapping it around her fork.

            "Mommy?  Is Anne feeling better?" Isaiah asked.

            "Yes.  She's taking a nap right now."

            Both of the boys cheered up at this, and dinner proceeded not quite normally, but close.  Alice did most of the talking, though she didn't feel like it.  She felt though, that Isaiah shouldn't know what had happened.  They had only begun to tell the children what had really happened on their adventure, adding on to the fractured train story.  Their abilities and their consequences had rarely been brought up until Anne's fusion; must they go through all that right now?  Isaiah was only five, and probably wouldn't understand anyway.  He wouldn't understand that Anne might have to fuse with a murderer for survival.  Alice shook her head, banishing the thought.  It was unlikely Anne would ever fuse again now.

            They were only children.  They couldn't tell them everything about their journey because they wouldn't be able to understand yet.  _Precept upon precept, line upon line,_ the scripture said.  People had to learn slowly.  Anne had enough to deal with, and had to learn so much so fast if they were going to save her; her mother could see that there would be much confusion and trouble for Anne.  So at least, for Isaiah's sake…could they just be normal?

            Yuri could tell what she wanted, and helped her keep up a steady conversation to cheer Isaiah.  He also wanted to keep his son out of this as much as possible, to protect him.

            "I'm done!" Isaiah announced.  He swung out of his chair and picked up his plate, carrying it over to the counter.  "Can we play a game?  Do you think Anne'll want to play?"

            "Mmm…have you done your reading yet?" Alice asked.  The little boy shook his head, seeming embarrassed.  "Finish your reading and then we'll play a game.  Daddy and I have to talk."

            "Okay!" he said.  Isaiah ran through the hallway to retrieve his book before going upstairs.  Alice turned to Yuri, seeing he'd cleared his plate.  She smiled to herself, knowing as long as Yuri had a healthy appetite, everything was fine.

            "So, is she mad?"

            Alice shook her head.  "I told you, she was just upset."  She set down her fork and folded her hands in her lap.  "She still doesn't want to fuse anymore."

            "That's fine."  Yuri looked so relieved; he was smiling, almost laughing.  "I think if I talk to her about it—"

            "First, we need to talk."

            Alice noticed how although the smile didn't vanish, Yuri's expression became a bit more apprehensive.  He had not gone through eight years of marriage without learning 'We need to talk' meant something was wrong.  "Yes?"

            "What do you know about Raging Tiger?"

            His eyebrow rose.  It was not the kind of question he had expected.  "He's Earth class, he can heal himself.  I don't understand.  What do you mean?"

            "Personality wise."

            Yuri shrugged carelessly, tipping his chair back.  No matter how many times Alice had warned him about breaking the chair legs, he still did it.  "I don't know.  He's got a fierce temper.  I always thought he was kind of like me."

            "Like you?"  His wife had not expected a comparison between him and a murderer.

            "Yeah, you know.  I've always had a short fuse," Yuri said, using Margarete's favorite expression for him.  The spy liked showing how Yuri and explosives were similar.  "So I thought we were alike."

            Alice looked down at her hands, seeing that she was gripping the skin rather tight.  It had turned completely white.  "I think there's a big difference in how you manage your temper."  She wondered guiltily if her words on his temper had formed his opinion.

            Yuri nodded.  He thought he had it figured out.  "This is about what Raging Tiger did to Anne?"

            "It's more about what he showed her," Alice said.  "Yuri, he's murdered a woman.  And he showed Anne how he did it."

            The chair legs crashed back on the floor; Alice would not have been one bit surprised if they'd cracked that instant, but the wood held.  Yuri was on his feet, gripping the table with both hands.  He stared at her before shaking his head roughly.  "I'm such an _idiot_!"  He stormed past the table, but Alice grabbed his arm before he passed her.

            "No, it's fine!  She's calmed down.  She's sleeping, don't wake her up.  She'll be fine in the morning," Alice promised.  She could feel his arms trembling and rose out of her chair, slipping her short arms around his waist.  "She'll be fine."

            "But she's never going to fuse again," Yuri said.  "How the hell am I supposed to save her now?"

            "We'll think of something."  Alice nodded against his back, trying to reassure both herself and Yuri.  They could still do something.  They just needed some time…a little time…in seven days they had saved the world, why couldn't they save their own child?

            Yuri had already thought of something, but he didn't tell Alice.  Instead he took her hand and led her upstairs to their bedroom, where they both changed.  Alice put on a nightgown while he simply stripped down to undergarments, and they both lay down on the bed.

            "You think she'll be alright?" Yuri said.  He doubted it; the first murder he had ever seen had haunted him for the rest of his life.  Not just because it was his mom, but because he had seen those blank eyes, and the blood that slowly seeped out…how much had Anne seen?  He wondered, and the more he thought about it the more he wanted to rip Raging Tiger apart.  How could he have done that to Anne?

            Yuri frowned at the ceiling.  Why had Raging Tiger—or any of the other fusions—why hadn't they ever tried to do that to **him**?  They only talked—more like yelled at him; they had never tried showing him anything.  Did they think it wouldn't affect him?

            That didn't matter right now though.  Yuri closed his eyes, aware that Alice was still awake, looking at him and then away uneasily.  He went to the Graveyard and stormed up to the masks.

            "Ohohoho…what are you here for boy?" the Staff Mask asked.

            Yuri folded his arms.  He felt a rush of fear, but fought it down, knowing this would be able to save his daughter.  "I want to make a deal.  My soul for Anne's."

**

**Author's Note:**  And there we go!  ^^

Yuri:  o.o  I'm not having children now…

**

**Reviewers:**

**Araschid:**  No, Fox Face is not Yuri's dad, he just pretends he is so he can scare the daylights out of him.  In the game Fox Face is Yuri's other half, and the 'tearing in half' thing is just an idea on why Yuri would be in halves.

Hm…unfortunately, I don't think this fic lends itself well to loving scenes.  I'll see what I can do, but I'm not making any promises.

The Pure leaves came from when I read the in-game description and started thinking about real life drugs that are supposed to be beneficial when taken the right way.  Pure leaves, take 'em when you don't need to and you're high.  ^^  I'm also thinking of using them again this way.

**Darkness featurin' Kitty:**  ^^;;  This update is really really late.  Oops…

**MikoNoNyte:**  Bad Kim!  You're giving me ideas!  Now I want to develop the dilemma further…which means an additional chapter…and you also made me change the ending.  And now I'm trying to plan a sequel to this.  Bad Kim.  ^^;;

**Greyfriars:**  Originally it was planned that all characters would be okay at the end of this fic.  Thanks to Kim and the idea I got from her review, that's not happening anymore.  There's going to be at least one character dying by the end.  ^^

I've never seen the Exorcist, so I don't know what the kids are like in there.  But I know what you mean:  most kids in fanfiction are either annoying or shallow (actually, both).  I'm glad you think mine aren't.  And yes, your reviews do make sense, and they're very helpful!

**Leels:**  It wasn't that the reviews didn't show up, but at the time I couldn't get to them.  You got a double detention?  Why?


	10. Precious Soul

**Disclaimer:**  I don't own Shadow Souls, do own Anne, Isaiah and Locke.  So ask me if you want 'em!  ^^  Child labor, cheap—

Yuri:  Not this again aegis.

**

            "My soul for Anne's."

            The dramatic statement did not quite have the effect Yuri wanted.  The masks stared at him for a moment and then, realizing he was serious, burst into uproarious laughter.

            "What the hell's so funny?!"

            "Ohoho—first, we've already been cheated once that way.  We were supposed to have your darling wife's soul."

            Yuri growled.  "You'll have your soul this time."

            "You expect us to believe you'd willingly submit to being our slave?"

            "You can take me right now!" the Harmonixer yelled.

            The Masks watched him with more interest now, realizing how earnest he was.  Yuri's fists were clenched as he glared at them.  He dared them to laugh again, he'd rip them in half.  The punishment should have been his in the first place, he'd take it if it'd save his daughter.

            "The love of a father.  How sickeningly sweet," Sword mask scorned.  "But we will not trade such a precious soul for refuse like you."

            His arms were shaking now, and the only thing that kept him from fusing with the Seraphic Radiance was the thought that he still might be able to convince them.  "What makes her precious and me refuse?"

            "Her class.  My my," Grail mask simpered, observing Yuri's confusion, "Don't you know your own daughter's class?  Perhaps you should ask your wife.  She's right over there."

            That gave him a horrible start.  If Alice had heard his attempt to bargain with the masks, he'd be in for it.  Luckily, when he turned he found that Alice was at the entrance gate.  She'd just come in and, from the look on her face, was excited.  Yuri approached her.

            "What's up?"

            Alice pulled on his sleeve.  She was smiling widely, genuinely happy.  "Yuri, I just thought of something."

            "Yeah?"

            She led him to the mound where Light and Air class fusions rested.  "You know how you usually have one emotion associated with the whole class?  Like rage with the Earth class?"  Yuri nodded, not quite sure where she was going with this.  "What emotion do you get from the Light class fusions?"

            "I feel like I should protect people."

            "Yes," Alice said, "See?  It's a good emotion."

            Yuri's eyes grew wide as he finally realized what she was driving at.  "You think it wouldn't bother Anne?"

            Alice nodded.  "It was funny actually—I was just dreaming about something and when I saw Anne, she had this skin as white as milk and I knew she had fused.  Then I thought of Heaven's Fiend and came here."  She paused, kneeling in front of the Light grave.  "You haven't felt any bad emotions from him, have you?"  She looked up at Yuri, her blue eyes almost fearful at the thought that her idea would be worthless.

            "No, I haven't."

            "I'm going to check, just in case," she said.  Reaching a hand to touch the grave, Alice searched the grave for all its emotions.  Yuri watched fascinated as the symbol glowed brightly.  He placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping to give her comfort if one of the souls decided to lash out at her as Raging Tiger had at Anne.

            For a long time they stayed like that, Alice searching and Yuri trying to protect in the only way he could think of.  Alice's hand dropped from the grave.  "I think…I think it will work."

            Yuri laughed, and she joined him as she saw his relief.

            "All we have to do is convince Anne…and then we'll have to train her for the fight."

            "Leave the training to me," Yuri said, grinning.  Anne liked their sparring sessions, despite her reluctance to learn fusion.  Sparring would be fun for both of them.

            "By the way, what were you doing here?" Alice asked suddenly.  "Were you having a nightmare?"

            "No, just giving those idiots a piece of my mind," Yuri reassured her.  He was starting to feel foolish for giving up so quickly.  What would Alice think if she knew?  He took her hand and led her to the gates at the entrance.

**

            They slept in that idyllic morning, woken up when Anne bounded into their bed and announced a customer.

            "It's Jean-Jacques!"  Anne liked his name; it was fun to pronounce.  "And he said he's going to get the big discount this time!"

            Yuri stirred at the sound of a challenge.  "Oh, he thinks so, does he?"  He rose out of bed and almost opened the door before remembering his half-nude state.  A shirt and pants were drawn on as Anne ran through the hallway, announcing to the visitor downstairs that her father would be down soon.  Yuri smiled at her loud voice, glad she was back to her normal self.

            He leaned over the bed, pecking his wife's cheek.  Sleepy blue eyes blinked open.  "Morning, sunshine."

            Alice buried her head back in the pillows, begging a few more minutes of rest.  Remembering he had gone to sleep before her, Yuri left her to sleep and went downstairs.

            "Jean-Jacques," he called, deliberating butchering the man's name with a laid-on accent, "how goes the quest for honor?"

            A pile of Pure and Thera roots were on the counter.  Mana would have been out of place since Yuri knew Jean-Jacques was as magically incompetent as he was, and sadly did not have any talent to cover that aspect.

            Isaiah was busy calculating the total of sales so far and Anne was also calculating, so the two could check each other's answers.  Anne had a leg up on Isaiah since she knew multiplication.  She triumphantly announced her answer as Isaiah tried to catch up.  Once done, he anxiously compared answers and was relieved to see they were the same.

            Jean-Jacques, standing idly by the counter, shrugged.  "Same as ever, I suppose.  The villain has eluded me."

            "Still can't find your sword?"  Yuri leaned on the counter.  "Man, that makes it close to a year now.  Do you have any leads?"

            "Plenty," the French man sighed, his mass of brown hair shaking with his head, "But they all seem to be dead ends eventually."

            "Tough luck," Yuri said sympathetically.

            "_C'est la vie.  But now, monsieur, if you would…"_

            "Already passed the other rings?"

            "Yeah," Isaiah piped up, "I set them for him.  Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty."

            "And now the seventy-five," Yuri said.

            It was Yuri's invention, and invented purely for a bit of excitement to break up an otherwise dull day of shop keeping.  It had been easy to convince the guild master to allow it, since it provided a high reward for shoppers…provided they could beat the shopkeeper.  Yuri liked a bit of competition.

            "Ready?"

            "Ready."

            Both men were standing in front of their Judgment Rings, watching as the target areas were marked and the indicator appeared.

            "Go!"

            Alice started awake at the thunderous sounds downstairs.  At first she sat up, looking wildly around.  Then she remembered hearing Jean-Jacques's name and realized he'd reached the seventy-five.  Right now he and her husband were pounding away like maniacs at Judgment Rings, competing to see who could last the most rounds, inconsiderate of those trying to get some sleep.  Men.

            She knew the hammering sounds of fists would continue a while, so she slipped on a pair of slippers and made her way downstairs.  Her children were watching in amazement and also being announcers.

            "Round twenty!" Isaiah said.

            "One-two-three-four-no good!" Anne shouted.

            Jean-Jacques's narrow shoulders slumped as he admitted himself defeated on round twenty-four.  Yuri laughed, promising that if he was free that evening he would buy the first round of drinks.  It was their typical arrangement, for the winner to buy drinks, and Jean-Jacques had only bought drinks twice.

            After Jean-Jacques had paid and left, the Hyuga family began breakfast.  They made some small chat, the children still excited with their visit from the French youth.

            "Anne, Isaiah, want to go spar?" Yuri said hopefully.  He already knew Anne would say yes, but he really wanted to teach Isaiah some martial arts, and toughen the boy up a little bit.  Alice had told him not to force Isaiah, but for heaven's sake, the boy liked cooking more than the chance to beat something up.  That just wasn't right in Yuri's mind.

            Predictably Anne said yes while Isaiah shook his head.  One look at Alice told Yuri he couldn't press the issue.  He privately thought that it would be his wife's fault if Isaiah grew up to be like Meiyuan.  He shuddered at the thought.

            "How about you and I work on our magic instead?" Alice suggested.  Isaiah liked this idea much better, and asked eagerly if he could make a bigger light.  "We'll work on it," Alice answered.

            So it was that after their late breakfast they all went outside.  Alice and Isaiah remained close to the small store while Anne and Yuri walked into the woods surrounding the clearing.  After a five minutes, Yuri stopped and faced his daughter with a grin.  Even if his son didn't want to practice, Anne was always eager to learn.  She'd be a good fighter.

            "Wanna start?"

            "What are we going to practice today?" Anne said.  Pouting a little, she asked, "Not more defense?"

            Yuri had at first taught her both attack and defense—actually, he had emphasized his strong point, which was offensive fighting—but ever since Anne's trial he had been teaching her mostly defense.  It wasn't the most exciting thing to have to practice dodging and blocking over and over.  Yuri did it because he knew if the Masks attacked soon, she wouldn't put a dent in one of them.  He figured there was a much better chance of her learning how to defend their attacks than learning how to land a punch on them.  But Anne thought otherwise.

            Then again, a little change could be fun.  "You want to do a practice fight?" Yuri asked.  "You can hit me.  If you're fast enough."

            His daughter grinned, ready for a challenge, and took up a stance identical to her father's as they both prepared to fight.

            Meanwhile, Alice had a bright light going, and was trying to instruct Isaiah on how to get some light as well.  He seemed to have a lot of difficulty, and all he would ever get was some flickers, nothing more.  Alice was entertaining the idea that Isaiah should probably wait until he was a little older to try magic when Isaiah dropped his left hand, focusing on just his right, where the flickers were.  The flickers grew stronger, becoming almost steady.

            "That's good, Isaiah!" Alice said when she noticed the improvement.  Maybe the smaller space was easier to concentrate on.  However it worked, Alice was glad to see he could focus the light much more easily.  It'd be easier to work on spells this way.  The first spell he could learn was Cure…but where to find something that needed healing?  Alice decided the best way right now was to simply focus on concentration until she figured that out.  "Now, try to get it just a bit brighter…"

            "Anne, you're leaving your fists down.  Get 'em up.  You gotta block your head."

            Instead of doing as he said, Anne looked confused.  "What do you mean?"

            "Like I am."  He demonstrated, having his fists a bit higher than his shoulders.  "It makes it easier to block when it's aimed at your face.  See, if I punch like this…"  He extended his arm to in front of her face.  "You got to bring your fist up right away to block.  And if I'm aiming for the sides of your head, same thing.  You want to make sure your head's protected."

            They started back to sparring, but Anne was still struggling on keeping the right stance and bringing her fists up at the same time.  Yuri batted her gently on the head a few times, reminding her to get them up, but it didn't seem to be working.  After a while, he was getting very frustrated.  She wasn't trying as much as she had at first, and her fists were a lot lower than they should be.  How was he supposed to get her to do this right?

            He remembered what his dad had always done and decided to take a leaf out of his book.  At the next opening, which only took a few seconds to show, Yuri hit Anne on the head with his open hand.  The girl fell down to the ground instantly, and after the first few seconds of sheer surprise, she seemed like she was close to crying.

            "Did that hurt?"

            Anne nodded.

            "Do you know why it hurt?"

            "You hit me really hard."

            "No, it hurt because you didn't block it.  Do you know how to block it?"

            "Yeah," she said reluctantly.

            "How do you block it?"

            "I have to keep my fists up."

            "Are you going to do that from now on?" Yuri asked.  He swore it almost felt like he was possessed by his father or something.  Unintentionally he was mimicking all the lectures he'd gotten after failing to take a lesson to heart and leaving his guard down.

            Anne nodded more energetically, brushing away the tears.  She stood up and got into the right stance again, making sure her fists were raised.  Throughout the rest of the practice fight, her fists were constantly up, which impressed her father.  He'd usually needed two or three whacks to learn his lesson.

            Once Anne was exhausted, they returned back home to find that Isaiah and Alice had also made some progress.  Isaiah was proud to show off his small light that had only occasional flickers.  To Anne the light seemed to be dancing, and she put her hand on it to feel.  "It's warm," she said in surprise.  She hadn't thought it would feel like anything, but it was warm and gentle.  "Wow, can I do this too, mom?"

            Alice laughed.  "That depends what class you are.  We'll have to see.  Although, if you're like your father, you won't be able to do any magic."

            "Oh!"  Her shoulders slumped.  "Really?"

            "Well, you can try if you want.  Try and see if you can do any Dark-classed or Light-classed magic."  Alice stood up from her chair at the table, inviting Anne to sit down at her chair.  "Isaiah, you want to show her how you concentrate?"

            Yuri wondered why Alice told Anne to do both.  Did she not know Anne's class either?

            Isaiah's face lit up at the prospect of actually teaching his big sister something.  Usually she was the one teaching him.  He held up his hand and told her, "You take your hand and you look at it really hard.  And you imagine you're holding a light, big and bright.  It kind of feels like your hand's falling asleep, it starts tingling."

            His sister stared at her hand and tried to do the same thing he was doing.  But it didn't work.  After her first attempt, Alice said, "No, you're definitely not a Light class.  Try Darkness magic.  It's the same thing as Light magic, except you're trying to get a kind of black cloud."

            "A cloud?" Anne echoed.  She stared at her hand, willing something dark to form.  Daddy was a Darkness class, so it'd make sense if she was the same.  Nothing was coming though.

            "That's…strange," Alice said slowly.  "You're not a Darkness class either.  Yuri, you try."

            Yuri held his hands in front of him and focused.  It was not as impressive as Alice's light had been, but it was a small, dense ball of darkness, useless as anything except an indicator of his class.

            "You should be getting something…your aura isn't changing though.  If you're not a Light class or a Darkness class…what class are you?" Alice wondered.  "Maybe…water?  My mother was a Water class, that might be it.  Try focusing on some water."

            They waited as Anne closed her eyes, holding her hand palm up in front of her.  "Nothing," Yuri said.  "Maybe she just doesn't have enough skill yet.  I know I'm a bit better at magic than I was when I was a kid."

            "Maybe," Alice said, "But it still seems odd…"

            Yuri thought so too, remembering what the masks had said.  But what did it mean?  She couldn't be a Dark class, since she was supposed to be more valuable than him.  Maybe a Light class?  They had seemed disappointed to let Alice go.  Light class made the most sense.  So both of his kids were Light classes…huh.

**

            They went on practicing like that for the next week.  Every day they'd wake up, do their chores, and then split up.  Alice showed Isaiah how bring out more of his magic, since he had yet to reach the level of actually using it, and Yuri taught Anne how to defend herself and counterattack.  She had learned quickly to take his advice to heart before he had to show her why it was really important.  Shortly before noon they would meet back together, and then Alice would teach the children writing, reading, and arithmetic while Yuri did his part as shopkeeper.  Alice encouraged the children to help with the shop as well to get practice at their math and reading skills—and also to double check Yuri's work, since his math was not always the best.

            Later, at night, Yuri and Alice would talk as they laid in bed, telling each other what had happened to them and wondering what they would do the next day.  One subject that continually came up was Heaven's Fiend, and if Anne should try fusing with it.  There were plenty of positives to Heaven's Fiend: he was Light-classed, a class not directly opposed by one of the Masks; he was very skilled at curing, which would be useful to Anne; and one of his main strengths was also defending himself against magical attacks, which the Masks tended to use.  There was a few downsides: privately both of them were worried that no matter how hard they checked, the fusion soul could still have those negative emotions that would harm Anne, and also, they hadn't told Anne yet.

            "I'll talk to her tomorrow, while we're training," Yuri said.  He thought that'd be the best time to ask; the fusion was directly related to her training.  "We'll have to figure out how hard we're going to train to get Heaven's Fiend, after all."  _And what if she says no?_ he asked himself.  No, if Anne disagreed, he'd just have to find some way to persuade her.  "Let's get some sleep now.  I'm tired."

            The next morning, as they were out training, Yuri told Anne to try punching him, holding his arms in front of his stomach.  As each of her punches landed forcefully, well, for a seven-year-old, Yuri wondered how he would convince her.  Should he just ask her point-blank?  Get it over with right away?

            "Do you like training, Anne?"

            Anne stopped and gazed up at him, wondering why he asked.  "Of course!  I'm going to train and get really strong, just like you!"

            "You want to start training harder?"

            The girl thought about it for a moment, then nodded.  "Alright."

            "Because you know, we're probably going to have to fight the Masks with mom.  It'll be tough.  That's why I want you to learn fusion, Anne.  It'll make you stronger."

            His daughter was silent at first, fear flickering in her eyes.  Yuri saw how she gripped her fists nervously while she stammered out, "B-but mom said I didn't have to fuse anymore."

            "I can't make you fuse if you don't want to.  But I'd really like it if you did."  He knelt down to make himself Anne's level.  She was looking down at the ground, examining the dirt.  "It wouldn't be Raging Tiger.  It's a new soul, Heaven's Fiend.  He's a good one, he won't hurt you.  Mommy made sure he wouldn't," he said.  "Please?"

            She shook her head.  "I-I—"  she broke off whatever she had been trying to say when she raised her head to make eye contact with her father.  "If he's a good person, why's he a monster?"

            The question took Yuri off-guard.  It was a valid question for a child.  If Heaven's Fiend had been a good person, why was he a monster now?  "It's not whether he was good or bad.  He just didn't make it through his trial.  He really is a good person."  Anne was still silent and he made another promise.  "All you have to do is try him once.  If he does anything like Raging Tiger, I won't ask you to fuse ever again."  Because if Heaven's Fiend couldn't be trusted, none of the other fusion souls could be either.

            "Alright."  She didn't sound very happy though.  Yuri smiled, trying to lift her spirits, but instead she said, "Can we go home now?  I'm tired."

            "Sure…you want a piggy-back ride?" Yuri offered.

            Anne agreed, although unenthusiastically, and Yuri lifted her up, setting her on his shoulders.  She rested her hands on his head and said nothing on their way back home.  That worried her father.  Anne usually wasn't quiet, and never for this long.  Was she mad with him?

            "When…am I going to fuse with him?" she asked as they were just outside the store.  Alice and Isaiah had gone back inside, although she could still feel the warmth from the lights that had been created.  "Soon?"

            "You need to earn him first.  You'll have to fight him."

            This news made Anne more worried.  She gripped Yuri's neck in a kind of hug.  "Is he strong?"

            "I'll be with you in case things get out of hand," Yuri told her.  He wouldn't be able to intervene without making her give up the fusion soul, but she could always try another time.

            "You'll be right next to me?"

            "Yep."

            Her face was buried in his hair as she told herself that everything would be fine.  Daddy would be right behind her, and mommy had already made sure that the fusion soul wouldn't harm her.  "Daddy?"

            "Yeah?"

            "I don't feel tired anymore."

            Yuri grinned.  "You want to train some more?"

**

            For the next few weeks, their family continued that schedule:  chores, training, shop, and then time to rest.  Buoyed by his daughter's agreement to try a fusion with Heaven's Fiend, Yuri threw himself into training Anne to be the best fighter she could be.  Her kicks were getting better, as well as her blocks.  Yuri found himself thinking that one day, maybe after a couple of years, Anne might kick his butt, and found that he didn't mind the thought.  He'd be proud if Anne became a better fighter than he was; it would mean that she was a good fighter and he was a good teacher.

            About a week before they were going to visit the Valentine family again, Anne asked her father a question at the dinner table.

            "Daddy, do you think I'm strong?"

            "Yeah."

            "Strong enough to fight Heaven's Fiend?"

            Yuri cast a sidelong glance at Alice, who did not seem too thrilled about Anne trying so soon.  "You want to?"

            Anne nodded.  "I want to fuse with him by the time we go to Blue Castle.  Please?"

            "Why?" Alice interrupted.  "Can't it be later?"

            "But mom," Anne pleaded, "I really want to show Locke!"

            "Will you show me too?" Isaiah asked.  He spooned up a big part of his peas and ate them, making a slight face.

            Anne nodded vigorously.  "Sure!"  Turning back to her parents, she asked, "So please?  Can I, mom?"

            Yuri went back to his food, thinking Alice would answer no.  He was surprised to hear her say, "I'll leave that up to your father."

            He looked at his wife again, wondering why she was leaving this up to him.  Was this a trick question or something?  He watched her face for some hint on how he should answer, but she was keeping her face carefully neutral.  This did not bode well for him.  If he answered wrong, he'd be in trouble.

            Yuri crossed his arms and thought about it.  Anne was a pretty good fighter; on the other hand, she was seven, and a girl.  Girls did tend to be weaker than boys…but then, Heaven's Fiend shouldn't be particularly challenging.  It had good spiritual defense, but Anne didn't use magic; good spiritual attacks, but Anne was a Light class like the monster, so it shouldn't affect her too much.  Its physical attacks were below average, so it was more a battle of endurance than a battle of strength.

            "Alright, you can try as long as I'm with you," he said.  "But not tonight.  I still want to train you for a few more days.  And we're running low on Thera leaves, so I'll need to get another order from Roger."  His eyes darted to Alice's expression again, and he was pleased to see the small smile on her face.  He'd managed to scrape out of that one.  And it was kind of exciting, to realize that their goal wasn't too far away; that in a few days, Anne might be a real fusionist, comfortable with her abilities.

**

            "You ready Anne?"

            Anne nodded confidently.  "Ready!"

            While Yuri was happy with her assertion, he was a bit annoyed by the fact that she was less nervous than he was.  After all, she'd be the one fighting.

            Actually, maybe that was the exact reason he would be more nervous: it would be his first time being only spectator to a fight, a fight involving his own daughter.  He'd be very, very glad when this was over and done with.

            "I've got the Thera leaves," Isaiah said, his hands overflowing with them.  Anne took them from him and put it into a small pouch she had gotten from her mom.  It hung around her waist, accompanied by the glowing Flare brooch.  Not that she was going to fuse, but Yuri knew it would also make her stronger.   "Anything else?"

            "No, this is fine," Yuri told him.  Mana leaves were unnecessary since Anne wouldn't be fused and didn't have any magic to call on.  Pure leaves wouldn't be needed either; since Anne could fuse with a monster, Yuri knew that she should have enough willpower to last through the fight.  If it took long enough that there was a risk of her going berserk, she'd likely be backing out for other reasons anyway.  "Now for the Graveyard," he muttered.

            Together Anne and him laid down with Alice and Isaiah watching over them.  Isaiah's eyes were full of curiosity; he would have asked to go with them if it wasn't for the name of the place, which filled him with foreboding.  It was just as well, since he would have been frightened at the appearance of the menacing region.  Yuri had one last thought of telling Anne that there was no way she was doing this now and that she'd have to wait until a reasonable age, like fifteen.  Or twenty.  But he knew that if he went back on his word now, Anne would be very hurt and mad…and she needed to be able to fuse as soon as possible, since they didn't know when the Masks would come after her.

            So, he closed his eyes, and tried to get to sleep.  He really did.  Usually he could get to the Graveyard quickly, after dozens of speedy trips had been required to clear his Malice.  But now he felt uneasy and shifted awkwardly, wishing he'd just relax and be able to sleep.

            "Yuri, she's in the Graveyard," Alice said.  She couldn't be in there by herself, since she'd be vulnerable to the Masks.

            "Um, I can't…could you?"

            Alice was already kneeling next to him, understanding what he needed.  She raised her hand above her face and said a single word in Latin.  A gentle light tinged with blue appeared in her hands and Yuri instantly fell back on the floor, his eyes closed in sleep.

            Although the spell pacified the body, Yuri still thought his insides were churning as he entered the Graveyard.  Anne was standing just inside the gates, pouting.  "What kept you, daddy?"

            "Took me a while to get to sleep," he said with a sheepish grin.  "You still got the leaves right?"

            Anne opened her pouch, showing all the Thera leaves.  "Got 'em."

            "Okay."  Yuri tried to think of any more reasons for delay but came up empty.  It was time for the fight.  This was almost worse than the Trial had been, because he had actually encouraged her to do this in the first place.  What had he been thinking?

            Scanning the Graveyard, the girl found the grave of Light and scampered towards it.  This immediately snapped Yuri out of his reverie and he followed her with brisk strides.  "Anne, don't touch that grave!"

            Obediently she clasped her hands behind her back and waited, her whole body tense with excitement.  She had been given equipment for once, the best there was in the store (except claw-wise, because she hadn't learned how to use them and both parents thought there was a better chance of her injuring herself than the monster).  Instead she had brass knuckles, specially made for her.  Anne wore a snow-white robe, circlet, and a charming pareo.  She looked like a miniature adult with the armor and accessories, which also worried Yuri for some odd reason.

            "You're ready?" he asked again.

            "_Yes_ daddy," Anne said, keen to begin her first real fight.  "I'm ready, I really am."

            Yuri groaned mentally.  For once he wished she wouldn't sound so enthusiastic.  "Alright…touch the grave and tell Heaven's Fiend you want to fight him."

            Anne turned and placed her hand directly on the symbol.  There was a flash of light but no monster appeared.  Yuri knew it was because he was in the way.  He stepped back a few feet and watched as a line was drawn, circling the grave and Anne.  More lines came into the circle, creating a depiction of the Judgment Ring.  Yuri edged his foot towards the circumference only to meet an invisible force, keeping him out.  The contract of souls between a harmonixer and fusion soul.  Once a fight for a fusion soul was started, no one else could enter the circle of fate; this condition was made in exchange for the chance to earn another form to fuse with.  Now the only way he could help, if Anne needed it, was for her to first leave the circle and forfeit the chance until she fought again.  This was not making Yuri happy at all.

            "Anne, if it gets too much for you, get out of the circle."

            She nodded, both of her eyes fixed on the floating white creature that had emerged from the grave.  She thought he was beautiful in a way, and it seemed like a shame that she'd have to fight him in order to fuse with him.  Still, she took up the stance Yuri had always shown her, making sure her fists were slightly above her shoulders.

            Heaven's Fiend made its first move, its typical preparatory action of casting Wall of Resistance on itself.  It would decrease the damage a spell caused, but since Anne wouldn't be using any magic, it wasn't a problem.  Anne took the opportunity to land a punch and two kicks.  Yuri watched the battle begin, stalking the outside of the circle as his insides clenched tightly.  He already knew he would **never** do this again.  Alice could supervise any fusion soul battles in the future.

            The soul cast Exorcist Arrow, hitting the girl with a beam of light; Anne cried out and Yuri's heart plummeted.  That had hurt her more than it should have if she was a Light class.  If she wasn't a Light class, this battle would be a lot harder than he had planned.  What class was she?  Maybe Water?  Yuri growled, wishing there wasn't a stupid circle blocking him from his daughter.

            Anne stood up from the offensive spell, a few bruises on her body.  She rushed forward, punching the fusion soul twice before it batted her away with its tail.

            "Thera leaf!" Yuri yelled.  "Use a Thera leaf!"

            Listening to her father, Anne opened the pouch and consumed one of the leaves.  At the same time, Heaven's Fiend cast Exorcist Arrow again.  This time the spell hurt her much less, Yuri noted with an infinite amount of relief.  The soul must have gotten lucky the first time.  So Anne was a Light class, just like her mother.  This battle should be easier then.  Hopefully.  His stomach was churning again.  He'd be lucky if he didn't get sick as soon as he woke up.

            Seeing that its magic had not been as effective as the first time, the fusion soul refrained from using the spell again, deciding physical attacks to be more useful.  The two combatants traded blows as Yuri watched on anxiously.

            Anne used three more Thera leaves, urged by her father.  She didn't think the third had been necessary, but she didn't see the harm in it, especially because there were so many leaves.  The fusion soul was starting to be weakened—at least, he was until he cast Sacred Remedy on himself.  Yuri swore, cursing the angelic creature for having healing abilities.  It should just go down and stay down.

            They went on for a few minutes, but he could see Anne getting weaker with the hits she took.  She grabbed her pouch of Thera leaves, but the soul's tail whipped around, knocking the bag—out of the Judgment Ring.

            Yuri picked it up and tried to toss it back to Anne, but the line that made the circle's circumference blocked the bag's return.  Nothing could get into the Judgment Ring.  Yuri swore bitterly.

            "Get out of there Anne!  Get out, now!" he yelled.

            "Hold on," Anne called, "I'm close, daddy."

            Her father grit his teeth.  This child of his would completely wreck his nerves.  She'd give him gray hairs before his time.  He couldn't do anything unless she listened to him, and she was not listening.

            The armor and accessories helped Anne, but truthfully she was not anywhere near as strong as Yuri had been when fighting the same soul.  Heaven's Fiend's tail whipped around, knocking her down.  Anne felt blood running down her cheek and knew she couldn't last long as it was.  The fusion soul pressed in on her, trying to force her out of the circle.  The soul itself was trying to deny her the chance to earn her own fusion soul, which infuriated Anne.  She was trying as best as she could, and she had come so close to beating him, and still she couldn't win.   It wasn't fair, it wasn't right.  She became increasingly angry as something rose in her, something that told her a way she could win.  The blood from her head injury dripped down on her clenched fists as a low growl came from her throat.

            Yuri heard the menacing sound and cast a glance at the Earth grave.  It was glowing.  A string of obscenities burst from his lips, all thoughts of restraint gone from his mind.  "Anne!  Get out of there, **now**!  What the hell are you thinking?"

            But he knew.  She wasn't thinking at all.  Her emotions were in control, and they were forcing the fusion that suited them, one based on rage.  In a flash of light, Anne was gone and replaced by a small tiger that walked on all fours.  Yuri knew now she was berserk, completely under the fusion soul's control.  And there was nothing he could do but watch as Raging Tiger went after Heaven's Fiend.

            The earth fusion growled, healing itself, before it slashed at the light class monster.  Realizing the new danger, the soul had only a few seconds to back away before Raging Tiger pounced on it.  It chose to use its fangs instead of claws and ripped into the already weakened Light class viciously.  The fight was brutal as the balance of power shifted dramatically from one side to the other.

            Yuri was only vaguely aware of the Judgment Ring's depiction dissipating, signaling the defeat of Heaven's Fiend.  All he could see was Anne, her body twisted into an abnormally feline shape, and how she licked at her wounds while at the same time healing them.

            "Anne," he whispered.  "Anne."  Could she hear him?

            The fusion soul paused in its healing ministrations and gazed at him with blood red eyes.  A low growl emanated from its throat as it rolled onto its feet, fixing him with its eerie look.  Yuri realized belatedly why his teammates had always abhorred him going berserk; it must have been unnerving to have a monster looking at you with nothing but bloodlust in its eyes and know that there was a friend inside of there.  That there was a daughter inside of there.

            He didn't have any Pure leaves.  Why had they neglected Pure leaves?  He held up his hands as the tiger approached him.  "Anne.  Please.  Don't."  Yuri's voice shook with every word.

            The tiger roared and leapt at him.  He did nothing to counter, so afraid he'd hurt his daughter.  He knew a serious attack could easily break her bones.  So instead he let her attack, trying to find an opportunity to seize her.

            She clawed at him brutally, trying with all her strength to kill him.  Yuri blocked her attacks with his hands.  As the one-sided fight progressed, the blood began dripping down his hands, splashing on the stones in the Graveyard.

            Finally he saw a perfect opportunity and seized her, one arm wrapping around her midsection while the other bound her front claws together.  The cat yowled and thrashed about madly in his grip.  He tried to ignore it as he moved up to the gates.  But the gates wouldn't open.  Yuri shoved all his weight against them twice before realizing that Anne's soul was bound to the Earth grave by her fusion.  She could not leave until she disembodied, and the fusion soul would never release its hold on her.  He could leave if he let her go, but then the masks would get her, devour her soul like they had wanted to do to Alice's—

            If he hadn't needed to hold Anne, his arms would have been shaking.  As it was, his grip tightened until the tiger howled and he heard the noise of something breaking.  He looked at Anne's paws and saw the right one dangling loosely.  He'd broken her wrist, and a horrible thought came to him: how much more pressure was needed to break one of her ribs?  "Don't fight me," he told the fusion soul.  "Not with Anne."  It either didn't hear him or didn't care, because it continued to struggle in his arms and he tried to contain it as best as he could without harming Anne again.  He wondered desperately what he would do.  He couldn't leave Anne without risking her soul, he couldn't leave with her, and he had nothing to return her to sanity.  The older harmonixer was about to lose his own sanity as well.

            "Yuri!"

            The Harmonixer looked up and saw his wife standing at the gates, looking around wildly.  "Over here," he called with a rough voice.  "Do you have any Pure leaves?"

            She shook her head.  "No, I tried to come as soon as I realized Anne was berserk," she said, marching towards them.  "But I do have your mother's cross."  Alice knelt by Anne and slipped the silver cross over her head, then put it around the fused girl's neck.  "Anne, do you hear me?"

            It took a minute or two, but the cross's power finally took effect.  Yuri felt the fusion soul go slack in his arms and released Anne, overcome with his own emotions.  Alice took the still fused girl into her own lap and asked, "Why don't you disembody?"

            The small tiger gazed up at her with thinly veiled confusion.  Its crimson eyes closed and a small light came from its body as it changed back into Anne, unconscious but with another fusion soul to work with.

            Her mother smiled at the serene look on Anne's face, glad that at least Raging Tiger had not frightened her this time, but the beam faded as her focus shifted to Yuri.  His face was hidden behind his bloody hands and she could make out the profound relief he was feeling, but there was another emotion beneath it, its antithesis, terror.  "Yuri—"

            "Take Anne and get out."

            Alice stared at him.  "What about your hands?  They're—"

            "I said get out!"

            His voice was muted but the anger came out in full force.  His whole body was trembling with rage and fear, the blood from his hands starting to stain his clothing and mat his hair.  Suddenly he gripped at it, nearly tearing strands out as his voice rose.

            "Get the fucking hell away from me!"

            Alice shot up to her feet, clutching Anne to her protectively.  Rarely had she heard Yuri so angry, even more rarely at her.  She opened her mouth but then thought better of it.  Instead she did as Yuri had demanded and left the Graveyard, waking up to a distraught Isaiah.  The young boy had panicked when he saw the blood spreading over his father, thinking it meant he was being injured.  Alice assured him that was not the case.  She could not help but wonder what was really going on with Yuri.

            Finally alone, Yuri let his wounded hands fall from his face.  The tears dropped from his eyes into his palms as he sobbed brokenly.  He brought his knees up to his chest and shuddered with relief as his mind went through what could have happened, with all the nightmarish pictures his imagination created:  Anne being killed by the Exorcist Arrow; Anne as Raging Tiger, its red eyes dulled and its rib cage crushed; Anne, left by him as he sought Pure leaves, surrounded by laughing Masks.  The relief was dulled by the knowledge that she was far from being safe and that all the danger of tonight could have been avoided if he had not been such an overconfident jackass.  He should have never become a father.  He couldn't even pretend he knew what to do for his children.  He was so lost and idiotic and reckless and the self-loathing built up inside until he couldn't stand it and screamed at the blank black sky.

            "Why can't I do anything right?  Why do I screw everything up?"  His voice became quieter as he gulped, his throat dry from crying.  "Why can't I…Dad…I'm just trying to be a good father…like you were…I can't do it.  I can't do this anymore," he whispered.  "I can't stand it."  He couldn't stand it when Anne got hurt, it felt like someone was digging a knife into his heart.  Hell would be better than this…or was this his hell?  He remembered what the masks had told him, that her punishment would be his as well.  They'd been right, as they usually were in their damningly annoying way.

            He reached out and used the Earth gravestone to hold himself steady as he staggered to his feet.  After Yuri regained his balance, he made his way to the temple.

            The Masks seemed surprised to see him.  Then again, it was obvious why they would be.  He made no effort to put on a cocky façade, well aware that the tears still dripping down his face made it pointless.  He grinned mockingly at their astonishment.  "What?  Isn't this what you always wanted to see?  You always wanted to see me break down and cry."

            "What do you want Harmonixer?" the Staff mask said coldly.

            "You know what I want," Yuri said, resentment creeping into his voice.  "So what's your price?  You don't want my soul, it's garbage.  I can see your point.  So what do you want?"

            "There is nothing you would give us that is worth more than her soul," Grail mask told him.

            "Nothing I would give you?" he echoed.  "So does that mean there is something I could give you?"

            "This is pointless," Sword mask said.  "There is nothing you could give us.  Nothing as valuable—"  He paused suddenly.  "Nothing as valuable, but maybe something worthy."

            Yuri looked at the green mask intently, trying to figure out what he meant by that.  "What do you mean?"

            "No more," the mask said brusquely.  "That is all for tonight.  Return to your mortal world, boy."

            Boy.  He was thirty-two and the masks still condescendingly called him 'boy'.  Yuri walked away from the temple, not knowing where he'd go.  They'd told him to return to his world, but that would mean he'd see Anne.  He didn't want to see her.  Not that night, maybe never.  Instead he entered the other set of gates, into the grassy field with a tree.  The same place that he'd met his father in so long ago.  He sat down and crossed his legs, leaning against the tree.  "Dad?" he said softly.  "I'd really like some help right now."

            But of course his father was in heaven now.  He had left watching his son when he thought he'd grown up enough to take care of himself.  And he could, he really could look out for himself.  He just couldn't take care of anyone else at the same time.

            Yuri looked up at the sunset as he waited for no one to come.  He wasn't disappointed, and he smiled lazily, bitterly.  He almost felt numb, like the tears had washed away all his emotions.  Like they were an anesthetic.  He wondered if that was why Alice let herself cry, so she could be dead to whatever hurt her afterward.

            But the numbness only lasted until he thought of Anne again, and then he shuddered as the relief of her survival came, quickly followed by the fears of what might have been.

**

            Yuri woke up after a fitful sleep spent half in and half out of the Graveyard.  His head hurt from resting all night long on the hard wooden floor, but he was surprised to find that his back was comfortable.  Someone had given him a blanket.  And two people were sleeping next to him.  Alice, on one side, had wrapped her arms around his midsection in a hug while Isaiah was curled up in a ball right on the other.  Looking around the family room, Yuri also saw Anne, asleep on the couch.

            Despite the loathing he had felt in the Graveyard Yuri sat up and leaned towards her, making sure she was alright.  He held up her right arm and tenderly handled the wrist, feeling that it had been healed properly.

            "Don't worry, I took care of her."

            Alice had woken up because of his movements and was watching him.  "Are you feeling better now, Yuri?"

            "Why aren't you guys in your bedrooms?" he asked rudely.

            "Because we got worried when you didn't wake up.  You weren't panicking, so we didn't know if anything was wrong, but we wanted to be near just in case."

            "Nothing was wrong."

            "That's a lie," Alice said softly, her voice quivering.  "I won't tell the children if that's what you want, but I want to know the truth."

            He shook his head.  Did he have to talk about this, already?  "I was just mad at myself.  I'm sorry I yelled at you.  I just wanted to be alone."  His tone was so flat that anyone could have known his apology was not genuine.

            "Why?"

            "Why what?"

            "Why mad at yourself?"  His wife reached up and touched him, pushing him back against the couch.  "I don't understand why you get so mad at yourself…when anyone would have done the same thing as you."

            "Oh, so you would've told Anne to go up against Heaven's Fiend too?"

            Alice nodded.  "Yes."

            He snorted derisively, the one sound telling Alice what he thought of that.

            "I do mean it!  And it worked, didn't it?  So what are you so mad about?"  She felt like she might lose her temper herself.  Why didn't he believe her?

            "That she almost died!  That I can't do anything without her almost getting killed!"

            "But it worked out.  It's an uphill battle for Anne, you can't expect to not have a few close calls.  And now, when she starts training more she'll be better able to face off against the masks.  Right?"  Unsure herself about the accuracy of her statement, Alice rested her head against Yuri's chest, feeling how tense he was.  He didn't hold her like he usually would.  "Don't be mad at yourself Yuri.  Because…when you hate yourself, you start hating everyone else.  And you're really frightening when you do that," she whispered.  "It's like you're a different person."

            She was trembling slightly as she leaned against him.  Yuri looked down at her and then brushed his lips against her hair, slowly reaching to hold both of her arms.  He hadn't wanted to cry in front of her and instead he'd probably made her cry.  That was…just how he was.  He didn't know how to change it.  He didn't know what to change it to.  Was it his fault for pushing her away when he cried or his fault for crying in the first place?  "Sorry."

            "You did really good yesterday, Yuri.  You helped Anne get another fusion soul.  You're helping her save her own soul.  Please look at it that way," she said.

            It was strange.  When he looked at it that way…it seemed like he had actually done a good job, like he was being a good father.  "And that's how you look at it, isn't it?" Yuri asked.

            She nodded against his chest.  "I believe in you Yuri.  That's why I love you."

            Yuri smiled and draped the blanket over both of them, wrapping them up in its red fabric.  That was why he loved her too; because she had always believed in him.

**

            Three days later, they were on their way to visit Keith, Margarete, and Locke.  The car jostled with each bump in the road, but they were all used to the rough road.  Anne and Isaiah were bouncing around happily in the back seat, asking, "Are we there yet?" as they proceeded through the woods.

            "Close," Alice answered.  "Now calm down."

            Yuri took a break from watching the path to look at Anne and Isaiah.  The girl had been frightened briefly when she had first woken up from her fight with Heaven's Fiend, but had soon calmed down after Alice and Yuri had talked to her.  She had also been practicing her fusion, but out of the sight of Isaiah; she wanted both him and Locke to be startled by her new fusion when she put it into action.

            The car braked as Yuri put it smoothly into park and the little girl frowned.  She didn't see Locke, and he was always out to greet them.  Had they stopped in the wrong place?  "Daddy, is something wrong with the car?"

            "No, we're here.  Blue Castle, everyone out."

            Isaiah pouted.  "Where's Locke?"  The youngest Valentine was missing, though Keith and Margarete were both outside on the entrance.

            "Hi Keith, hey Margarete," Yuri called to them as he slammed the driver's door shut.

            "So how was your month?" Margarete asked, walking up to him.  "Same old?"

            Yuri thought over his month, the attempted fusions with Raging Tiger, the battle to earn Heaven's Fiend, and Anne's subsequent attempts at more fusion.  "Um, not really 'same'…Let's talk about that later," he said.

            "Aunt Margarete, where's Locke?" Anne asked.

            "He's in his bedroom.  Said he didn't want to come out.  Guess he must have stayed up late," Margarete said.  Anne knew where his room was, so she ran inside and up the stairs.  Once she as outside the room, she grinned and knocked loudly.

            "Locke!  Knock knock!"

            The first try didn't get a reply, so Anne repeated herself.   "Locke!"  Isaiah had managed to catch up to Anne and started knocking as well.

            "C'mon Locke, don't you want to play?"

            "No!"

            Anne stopped pounding on the door when she heard his response and asked, "Are you tired?"

            "No."

            "So why don't you want to play?"

            "I don't want to play with you."

            Now Anne stared at the floor, wondering why he didn't want to play anything with her.  "Why not?  Did I do something?" she wondered, looking at Isaiah to see if he knew what it was.  Her brother shook his head, just as bewildered as her.

            The door opened and Locke looked up at her.  "I don't play with monsters," he announced before slamming the door.

            Anne looked at the door, hearing what Locke had said.  'I don't play with monsters.'  Locke thought that she was just a monster.  But why?  She hadn't done anything bad.  That wasn't fair.  Why was he being mean to her?

            "Well…well…I don't want to play with a stupid bat, so there!" Anne yelled back at the door.  She stared at it, waiting for Locke's reaction, but when she heard nothing else she left, nearly in tears.

            Isaiah was torn between what he should do.  Finally he went back to the parlor, where the adults were talking about the different fusion souls, especially Raging Tiger.  He tugged on his mother's sleeve until he had her attention.  "Mommy, Anne's really upset."

            "Why's that?"   Yuri asked.

            "Because—Locke said he wouldn't play with her because she was a monster."

            "Is she alright?" Alice said unnecessarily.

            "He said **what**?"  Keith, for the first time Yuri could remember, looked absolutely livid.  He vacated his armchair and stormed up the stairs with the harmonixer right behind him.  Except at the top of the stairs, Yuri turned one way while Keith went the other, each to deal with his own child.

            Anne was crying in her room, sobbing into her pillow.  Yuri shook her shoulder.  "Anne."

            She rolled over and looked at him.  "Daddy, I'm not a monster, right?"

            "No, you're not.  Locke's wrong, you're not a monster."

            With her fists she rubbed at her eyes and nose, sniffling.  "And it's good to be a harmonixer, right?"

            "Right."

            "Then why did Locke call me a monster?" she asked.

            Yuri shook his head.  How was he supposed to tell her that reaction was the most common she would find?  "He's just afraid Anne.  He doesn't understand about your abilities, so he's scared.  But once he understands, he won't be afraid anymore."

            "He's afraid?"

            Yuri nodded.  "It's not your fault, it'll just take a while for him to understand."

            "And then we'll be friends again?"

            "Yeah, I'm sure you will," he said optimistically.

            When she had calmed down, he picked her up and carried her piggy-back to the parlor.  Keith was in the parlor, still incensed by his son's rudeness and muttering crossly about what his father would have done with such a child.  When Locke had refused to open the door to let him in, he had pounded on the door until both women persuaded him not to break down the door.  Alice was still trying to calm him down while Margarete was by turns amused with her husband being mad for once and also remorseful about why he'd gotten mad.

            "I don't get it," she said, shaking her head.  "He's been friends with Anne forever, and she didn't even say anything to him."

            "Raging Tiger attacked him and Isaiah, didn't it?" Yuri said as he walked in.  "That'd be enough to frighten any kid."  Anne bit her lip, wondering if that was why he was so mad at her.  How could she apologize for what had happened that night, when she had first fused?

            "But he knows that it wasn't Anne," Keith said irritably.

            "I don't think he does," Yuri said.  "He's too young.  Just give him time."

            The vampire frowned, a hint of his elongated canines showing.  "If you insist, although he will be making a sincere apology to Anne."

            Only Keith could manage to make an apology sound like a threat, Yuri thought to himself.  Margarete shook her head slightly and rose, saying, "Who wants lunch?  Anne, what would you like?"

**

            Yuri went to sleep that night and found himself in the Graveyard.  He hadn't planned to come to the Graveyard and he looked around confused before deciding to check out the entire Graveyard.  He wasn't sure why he was there until he approached the temple.  He found the masks there, all four, looking unusually solemn.

            "Someone die?" he asked.

            "We will give you a chance to save your daughter's soul," Sword mask said.

            His eyes widened at the unexpected offer.  "And what's the catch," Yuri asked more cautiously.  The last time he had come to the masks he had been beaten.  They probably thought they could get him to do anything.  Which made the next part more surprising.

            "There is only one thing we want," Staff mask said.

            "Great, so spit it out."  It was probably murder or worse.  Anne was doing well now though.  She had a fusion soul, so the worst part was over.  If the price was too high, he'd refuse and do things his own way.

            "We want you to pass your Trial."

            Yuri looked at the Gold mask incredulously.  "That it?"

            "Yes."

            "So lemme get this straight.  I pass my Trial, Anne's soul is freed, no strings attached, you never bug us again.  And that is it?"

            "Correct," Grail mask told him.  "There is only one condition:  you must take the Trial every single night until you pass it.  Skip one night, and the deal is off; we will take the girl's soul."

            "Okay, I'll bite: why?"  Yuri asked.   "I know plenty of harmonixers have completed their tests, so it doesn't seem that big  a deal."

            "Yes, but your failure has led to all your cowardice and cheating," the Grail mask told him.  "Pass your test, and it will be as if it never was."

            Yuri thought about it for only a few minutes.  They would've had to say if there were any catches, so he knew there weren't.  Here it was, an easy way to free Anne with little hassle.  If he just passed one test, she was safe.  It wouldn't harm anyone.  There was no reason **not** to attempt the Trial.

            "I'll take it," Yuri said.

            "The Trial will begin now."

**  
**Author's Note**  hoo…Yuri's section was a doozy.  It's either so well-written that it made me cry, or very cruddy because I was crying while I typed it.  I'm not kidding too.  Am I the only writer who makes herself cry when writing scenes?

Oh, and **Kim**!  This is where you started giving me ideas about Yuri retaking his Trial.  As well as other things.  My whole storyline shifted a bit once I got the ideas too.

**

**Reviewers:**

**MikoNoNyte:**  Yuri was thinking that she was not going to be mastering all the other fusions for a while, so he didn't need to worry.  He was just giving a bit of incentive.

That's my personal favorite line: "Daddy, you're indecent!"

Oh, don't you know?  That mule was Yuri's reincarnation, as punishment for always being so stubborn.

Yuri:  *grumble*

Margarete-profession-tools of the trade-explosives-temper-Yuri.  --  Their connection.

He doesn't have a choice, but he likes to think he does.  It's very amusing.

**Kitty:**  In a way, he has become more like her.  But not too much.  He still has to have Yuri-like traits…such as in this chapter when he yells at Alice.

**Leels:**  That sounds like the most awesome way to get a detention.  ^^


	11. Trial

            "The Trial will begin now," Sword Mask said.  "I will be your mask."

            Yuri nodded and then thought of something.  "I'll turn into a monster if I fail, won't I?"

            "Oh…no," Staff mask answered.  "The first trial stands as your judgment."

            Yuri was a bit suspicious.  He knew they were bound to their word.  They had promised he wouldn't change into a monster.  They'd promised he could retake the Trial as many times as he wanted—as long as he came once every night.  They'd promised that if he passed his Trial, they would release both him and his daughter.  He knew there had to be a catch somewhere…

            Yuri shook his head, driving his suspicions away.  The Masks were giving him a good deal.  Maybe they were trying to trick him somewhere, but it sounded so simple.  All he had to do was keep retaking the Trial until he passed it.  He could probably pass it right now.  He wasn't a frightened nine-year-old now.

            The sword came off the mask and came to his hand as the mask fitted itself over his face.  Yuri remembered the feeling that he was about to suffocate, just one of the fears Sword mask had played on before.

            The sword's hilt fitted awkwardly into his hands, its size a little too big.  His hands seemed small.  Yuri looked down at his hands and saw the hands of a child, soft and smooth in some parts and bleeding in others.

            He was a nine-year-old.  He was retaking his Trial as a child, and now the Masks' solemn silence had turned into raucous laughter.

            "Such a young one!  He will be good to break."

            "His taint is too heavy for the fusion to succeed," Grail mask said dismissively.  "Break him and place him below Death Emperor.  Let us be done with him."

            He already was afraid of the strange masks above him, but in a way Yuri was relieved to be here.  He was away from the corpses: the corpses of the monsters that had attacked, and the corpse of his mother.  The skeleton of a home.  Yuri already knew he could never call that place home again.

            "But what about when your father comes home?" Sword mask asked.  "What then?"

            The child shivered.  That was right.  Dad would come home, and he'd know something was wrong right away when Mom wasn't outside to welcome him home.

            Then he'd walk inside and see Anne's body lying with the monsters'.  Yuri envisioned it so clearly as he sat on the floor, watching his father's reaction.  "I'm sorry dad," he said in a soft whisper.

            His father knelt in his green army coat to pick up his wife's corpse, cradling her head to hide how her neck had snapped.  He only spared his son a disgusted look before walking outside.

            "Dad?" Yuri called.  Why was his father walking away?  Was he going to leave him here?  He wouldn't.  The snow was already deep outside.  It was the middle of the winter.  All the villagers were dead.  If Dad left him he would starve.

            Did Dad think he should die too, for not keeping his promise?

            Yuri ran outside the small house and saw his father's silhouette, small as a dot, moving away.  "Dad!" he yelled.  When the distant figure didn't slow, Yuri ran as fast as he could, stumbling over and over in the tall snow drifts.  "Dad, wait!  I'm sorry!  DAD!"

            He felt an odd pain in his body, in his hands.  He looked down at his hands and saw instead claws merging into bloody palms.  The disparate images snapped him back into the reality of the Masks.  His hands completed the change from human to monstrous, covered in a black, leathery skin.  The foreign skin was beginning to spread into his arms.

            They were trying to turn him into a monster, Yuri realized.  They were going to turn him into one of those…things…those things that had killed Mom, that had almost killed him-!

            At his panicked thoughts, the black color spread faster, covering his elbows quickly and beginning to sneak up on his shoulders.  Seeing this, Yuri grew even more terrified.  His heart was pounding in his chest.  Then as his chest was covered with the monster's skin, the pounding abruptly stopped as his heart was replaced with something else, a void filled only with dark magic.

            He realized his fear was fuelling the transformation.  Maybe if he wasn't afraid, it would stop?  Would he get his heart back?  Yuri tried to concentrate, telling himself that if he calmed down, he would see his hands, his arms.  He hoped.

            "It's useless," Sword mask cackled.  "Try your hardest boy.  It'll make your defeat most amusing."

            Couldn't he stop it?  His arms remained the same even though he concentrated, tried to make the black color go away.  He couldn't stop—he couldn't stop being afraid completely, it was too hard.  The forced fusion halted for a few seconds, but he couldn't seem to change himself back.  As he began to despair the fusion began spreading again.

            There was only one way he could think of to stop: he had to get the mask off.  He brought up the long black claws to the mask and tried to pry it off, getting fresh gales of laughter from the Masks.  Yuri knew why they were laughing, the mask was attached to his face.  It felt like ripping his mask off would tear off his skin as well.  He didn't care, he'd rip himself in half if he had to, he was getting out of this mask.  He wasn't going to be a monster.  He wasn't going to be like those loathsome creatures that had killed Mom.  He was getting out.

            He doubled over on the ground, writhing as he tried to wrench the Sword mask off.  With only his left hand, his best effort brought a sudden pain, so horrible he screamed.  His right hand released the sword, letting it fall to the ground.

            There was a gasp.  Yuri looked up, seeing a boy lying beside him.  It was himself, with the same brown eyes and hair but without a mask.  But he was right here, inside the mask.

            The Masks were silent for once.  They were so silent that Yuri guessed the truth: he had managed to free himself somehow.  But somehow he was also still trapped in the mask.

            Gaping at him, the boy nervously scrambled to his feet.  "Help me," Yuri said.  The boy was silent.  He had tears coming down his cheeks.  Yuri knew he was crying as well, his tears running down the mask.  "Please, help me!" he yelled, crawling towards him.  His body hurt so much he couldn't stand.

            "Yuri?"

            The other boy only stared at him wide-eyed, shaking his head slowly.  "I can't.  I can't," he whispered.

            "You have to!"  Yuri said desperately

            But the boy only turned and ran, leaving him with the Masks.  He wasn't going to help him, even though they were the same person.  The pain became so awful that Yuri crumpled on the floor, his hands and arms still in their monstrous form.

            "Yuri…"

            "You've failed," Sword mask's voice said coldly.

            He woke up, next to a woman's body.  His mother's, still warm despite death.  He yelled in horror, pushing himself away as Anne's arms reached out towards him.

            "Yuri, Yuri!  It's just a nightmare.  You're alright."  Her arms grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to look at her.  "Yuri, wake up."

            It wasn't his mother at all.  "Who are you?" he demanded.

            Alice gave a puzzled smile.  "I'm your wife, silly."

            The word 'wife' woke him up to who he really was.  Not a nine-year-old, and not Fox Face, whose version of the Trial he had just seen, but an adult Yuri, a husband and a father.  The incredible epiphany was followed by the realization he'd just made a fool out of himself.

            "Oh."  He did feel very silly and cracked a smile.  "Sorry Alice.  Just—you just startled me."

            There was a knock on the door and it slowly opened.  Margarete poked her head in.  "Yuri having nightmares?"

            "I wasn't **that** loud," he protested.

            "No, I've just been awake the whole night.  You want some tea?" she asked.

            Alice smiled and edged out of bed, tying her robe closed tightly.  "Come on," she said to Yuri, "Or are you too tired?"

            He didn't exactly feel like sleeping after remembering his whole Trial.  "I want coffee though," he said.

            Margarete rolled her eyes.  "You and your coffee."

            Ten minutes later, they were all settled in the kitchen.  Margarete and Alice were both sipping tea, the spy comfortable in her blue lingerie and the exorcist in her white robe, while Yuri walked to the table with his mug of coffee.  "So what makes you yell like that?" Margarete asked curiously.

            He chose the simplest explanation: "Graveyard dream."

            She raised a delicate eyebrow.  "Want to be any less vague?"

            Yuri sighed.  "I dreamt about my Trial.  It wasn't too fun."

            "I see, I won't ask anymore.  Though I'm really curious."

            "You always are, Margarete."

            Margarete wisely left it at that and finished off her tea.  "Well, I'm going to get to bed," she said.  "Keith's probably wondering where I am."

            "Is he in bed?" Alice asked.

            "He went to check on the others in their coffins."  She shrugged.  "They keep asking him if he's made me a vampire yet."

            Alice winced, knowing it was a rather sensitive subject.  Margarete had refused to be turned into a vampire, despite Keith's attempts to persuade her.  Both he and his clan were of the opinion that any member of the clan, whether by birth or marriage, should be a vampire, but against Margarete's stubborn attitude it was useless.  "Well, they'll learn sooner or later."

            "Probably after I'm dead," Margarete replied, dumping her cup in the sink.  Alice sighed after she left.

            "I hope they work that out…I don't know why she doesn't agree.  I suppose that's just between her and Keith, though."  Alice looked over at Yuri.  "Are you feeling well?  You're still pale."  She leaned over the table, pressing the back of her hand against his forehead to check for a temperature.

            Yuri quickly turned red in the face and took her outstretched hand into his own.  "C'mon, I'm not sick.  I just had a bad dream, that's all."

            "About your Trial?"

            "Yeah.  But this time I saw it through Fox Face's eyes…it was kind of weird."

            He wondered what the point of that had even been.  Sword mask had said he had failed…but was that Sword mask talking to Fox Face or Sword mask to him?  If it was to him, how was he supposed to pass that Trial?  Did he have to change the memory somehow?  But that…wasn't that impossible?

            "How'd you sleep Alice?"

            "Perfectly fine, until you hit me with your arm, you oaf," Alice said.  She giggled at Yuri's contrite expression.  "I know, you were having a nightmare."

            Yuri didn't tell her then why he'd been having that nightmare.  He didn't want to worry her, especially when it'd be over in only a matter of nights.  Besides…then maybe he could make the good news a surprise.  Seeing Alice put down her tea, Yuri walked over to her and hoisted her out of chair.  She was surprised by the sudden movement but laughed quietly as he carried down the hallway back to their room.

**

            Breakfast was quiet by normal standards.  Leon was off somewhere, going to Italy he'd said.  Margarete had persuaded Locke yesterday to come out of his room for meals, but he would not say anything to Anne, or Isaiah for that matter.  Keith seemed unhappy about his son's stubbornness and had remarked once that he probably inherited it from his mother; Margarete had given him a sweet smile before kicking his shin underneath the table.  Keith left the subject of heredity for later discussion.

            "So, you'll watch Anne and Isaiah?" Alice said suddenly.  The children looked up at her questioningly.

            "What do you mean?" Anne asked.

            "You'll be staying with Uncle Keith and Aunt Margarete for the next two weeks," she explained.  By that time they should be able to get Locke to make up with Anne.

            Isaiah was dismayed.  "You mean you're going home without us?"

            "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of fun here."

            Both of her children looked dubiously over at Locke and then gave their parents pleading looks.  They did not think two weeks with their sullen 'cousin' would be any fun at all.  But the decision was final; they'd be here for two weeks.  They already had clothes here, so that was no problem.

            "Don't worry," Yuri told Anne at the door.  "Just show him Heaven's Fiend.  Show him how much control you have over it.  You've been doing really good at it."

            "You think he'll be impressed?"

            "I bet he'll be.  But you have to remember to have either Keith or Margarete with you, okay?"

            Anne nodded and Yuri gave her a hug.  "And if that doesn't work, just kick his butt," he whispered in her ear, making her giggle.  Then he hugged Isaiah after Alice had let go of him.  To his surprise, Isaiah had gotten over his initial disappointment fairly quickly and was being positive—that was good of him.

            "Two weeks to ourselves," Alice said once they were in the car.  "Think we should fix up the shop?"

            Yuri groaned as he got behind the wheel.  "Is that the most romantic thing you can think of?"

            "Oh, well, if it's romance, I guess I'll just go along with whatever you want," she said mischievously.  "That would be just fine."

            "Now that's more like it."

**

**Author's Note:** There's only one reviewer.  Did I scare everyone off with the long chapter? ^^

**

**Reviewers:**

**MikoNoNyte:**  Yuri's Japanese, so he's definitely a man's man, especially with who his father is.  (Army men don't really seem like they'd encourage anything but.)

I know we grow up to be our parents: at ten years old my older sister told me I was just like my grandpa.  I didn't know exactly what to say to that, but he, my mom, and I all have the same kind of temperament.  Which is kind of scary sometimes.

Yuri wasn't exactly being gentle; he **did** knock Anne down with his hit.  Although he probably didn't hit too hard, knowing Alice would have his hide if Anne complained to her.

Heheheh…I cannot tell Anne's class.  I cannot tell anything about her magic.  Except that it is a major plot point, though you probably already knew that.

I'm glad you liked the Judgment Ring part.  ^^

And yes you did inspire me by saying it'd be interesting to see how I developed Yuri's relationship with his Masks.  I hadn't actually planned to, but since then…it's become a big part of the story in a way.  ^^  I'm just vulnerable to suggestion.


	12. Fulfillment of the First

**Disclaimer:**  I don't own Shadow Hearts.  In fact, even my copy of the game has been lost.  ;.;

**

            Alice and Yuri arrived home that evening, tired from the long drive.  Yuri was not exactly looking forward to sleep, but his wife simply threw herself on the pillows, fully clothed, and closed her eyes.  He grinned and gave her a small kiss on the forehead before going to lying next to her.  Her skin was warm and soft, comforting as he searched out the Graveyard.

            "That was a dirty trick you pulled last night," he growled at the Masks.  "What the heck was I supposed to do with a memory?"

            Staff mask chuckled.  "The purpose was to remind you of your first judgment."

            "Judgment?  I didn't get one," Yuri said.  He searched his memory, forcing himself to call up his other half's version of the horrible Trial.  "Neither did Fox Face.  But you told me I failed."  This comment was directed to Sword mask.

            "Didn't like that trial?" the mask asked scathingly.  "Picky, picky.  You're so demanding."

            "I just want to know why you gave it to me!"

            "Staff mask has already answered your question, then," he said.

            Yuri turned away from the Masks, trying to figure it out.  Neither half got a judgment, how could they remind him of it?  And the night before they'd said the first Trial stood as judgment…but they hadn't given him any judgment at all!

            Was this just their way of telling him he had a blank slate, that there hadn't been any previous judgment?  Given their usual excruciatingly secretive routine, that could be it.  "Fine."

            "Fine?" Grail mask echoed.

            "That's fine with me!  Just this time, either give me a Trial I could pass or don't taunt me," he said, gripping his fists, "Because you know what I do when I'm pissed off."

            "A Trial you could pass…" Sword mask said thoughtfully, "Oh, I can think of one.  Or does anyone else want a turn with this harmonixer?"  He turned to the others, smiling wickedly.  "Who thinks they can torture him the most?"

            Yuri growled in annoyance, tapping his foot on the ground impatiently.  They were using their deal as an opportunity to take potshots at him.  That was their catch he bet.  They hadn't gotten to take a shot at him since Alice and him had defeated Atman, and now they were getting a few freebies.  He wasn't exactly thrilled about where this conversation was headed, and he knew the Masks would inevitably pick the worst one; they knew him too well, and vice versa.  But he'd beat them.

            "Ahahaha, that is a good one," Grail mask said.  "Divide and conquer…what a good idea.  You play with him now…I don't doubt we'll have later opportunities."

            "Wanna bet?" Yuri said.  "I'll pass this one, easy."

            The air became staler as Sword mask attached to his skin, and he reached forward to grasp the sword's hilt as it came to him.

            "Daddy?"

            Surprised, Yuri whirled around and stared at Anne.  She had just entered the temple, her hands resting on one of the doors.

            "Are you taking a Trial, Daddy?" she asked.  "Aren't you too old?"

            "I'm taking another one.  Why are you here?  I thought I told you not to come here without me."

            His daughter seemed embarrassed, lowering her dark brown eyes to the ground.  "I'm sorry Daddy.  I had a nightmare."

            "Oh—" A Graveyard nightmare.  He had experienced many of those as a child.  Yuri wanted to reach out and touch her, but he was also afraid to approach her with the sword in his hands.  Sword mask had forced Anne to bring it up to her father's neck.  Yuri didn't want to know what the mask would make him do.  "That's alright Anne.  You should probably wake up now.  Go talk to Uncle Keith or Aunt Margarete.  You'll feel better after you do."

            "But I want to stay with you." she said pleadingly, taking a step toward him.

            "Anne, I need to concentrate.  Please, get out," he said.  He was grateful that Sword mask hadn't started the Trial yet.  "Anne."

            "No.  I want to stay with you!" she insisted.

            "Be a good girl and do as your father says," Sword mask spoke.  It felt odd when the Mask he wore did that, as if he was actually the one speaking.  But it wasn't his voice, it was the Mask's.  "You know he doesn't want you."

            The girl's eyes widened.  Was Sword mask right?  She looked uncertainly at her father, and then shook her head.  "I'm not going."

            "Anne May Hyuga, I told you not to come to the Graveyard, what makes you think you can stay?" he tried.  She flinched but stayed in place, continuing to shake her head.  She wasn't listening to him.  Again, he thought, remembering how stubborn she had been when fighting Heaven's Fiend.  What good did she think staying here was going to do?  "Anne, you are going to be in a whole lot of trouble when you come back home."

            "But why do you have to take a Trial again?" she asked.  "That's not fair.  If you have to take a Trial, then, then—shouldn't I have to too?"

            "No.  I'm taking the Trial because I want to, I don't have to," he told her.

            She looked back and forth between him and the Masks, judging the situation for herself.  "It's my fault, isn't it," she said softly.

            "You know it is, child."

            "Shut up!" Yuri told the Mask.  It cackled, the sound of its laughter echoing in his ears.

            "I know he's right, Daddy!  You shouldn't have to take it again.  Let me take it instead."

            "No!" Yuri yelled.  He didn't want to know what kind of deal the Masks would make with that offer.  "Listen, if you're going to stay—stand by the doors.  If anything happens, you **will** leave."

            Anne nodded.  "Thank you Daddy."

            "You're still in big trouble for not listening to me."

            "I know."

            The Sword mask chuckled.  "Love.  Such silly delusions you humans have."

            His hands suddenly seemed to get smaller.  Yuri looked down at his hands and saw the hands of a child, soft and smooth in some parts and bleeding in others.  This again?  It was the same Trial, and the Masks were laughing again at him.

            "Such a young one!  He will be good to break."

            "His taint is too heavy for the fusion to succeed," Grail mask said dismissively.  "Break him and place him below Death Emperor.  Let us be done with him."

            He already was afraid of the strange masks above him, but in a way Yuri was relieved to be here.  There was something else besides fear and relief; there was anger at the masks above him.  He wasn't quite sure why.  They were doing something to him…again?  No, he'd never seen these masks before.  At least he was away from that skeleton of a home.  Yuri already knew he could never call that place home again.

            "But what about when your father comes home?" Sword mask asked.  "What then?"

            The child shivered.  That was right.  Dad would come home, and he'd know something was wrong right away when Mom wasn't outside to welcome him home.

            Then he'd walk inside and see Anne's body lying with the monsters'.  Yuri envisioned it so clearly as he sat on the floor, watching his father's reaction.  "I'm sorry dad," he said in a soft whisper.

            His father knelt in his green army coat to pick up his wife's corpse, cradling her head to hide how her neck had snapped.  He only spared his son a disgusted look before walking outside.

            "Dad?" Yuri called.  Why was his father walking away?  Was he going to leave him here?  He wouldn't.  The snow was already deep outside.  It was the middle of the winter.  All the villagers were dead.  If Dad left him he would starve.

            Did Dad think he should die too, for not keeping his promise?

            Yuri ran outside the small house and saw his father's silhouette, small as a dot, moving away.  "Dad!" he yelled.  When the distant figure didn't slow, Yuri ran as fast as he could, stumbling over and over in the tall snowdrifts.  "Dad, wait!  I'm sorry!  DAD!"

            There was another voice, besides his.  A little girl, also calling over and over for her dad.  The boy turned around wildly but saw no one, nothing but blank, endless snow.  He had lost sight of his father.

            He felt an odd pain in his body, in his hands.  He looked down at his hands and saw instead claws merging into bloody palms.  The disparate images snapped him back into the reality of the Masks.  His hands completed the change from human to monstrous, covered in a black, leathery skin.  The foreign skin was beginning to spread into his arms.

            They were trying to turn him into a monster, Yuri realized.  They were going to turn him into one of those…things…those things that had killed Mom, that had almost killed him-!

            At his panicked thoughts, the black color spread faster, covering his elbows quickly and beginning to sneak up on his shoulders.  Seeing this, Yuri grew even more terrified.  His heart was pounding in his chest.  Then as his chest was covered with the monster's skin, the pounding abruptly stopped as his heart was replaced with something else, a void filled only with dark magic.

            He realized his fear was fuelling the transformation.  Maybe if he wasn't afraid, it would stop?  Would he get his heart back?  Yuri tried to concentrate, telling himself that if he calmed down, he would see his hands, his arms.  He hoped.

            "It's useless," Sword mask cackled.  "Try your hardest boy.  It'll make your defeat most amusing."

            Couldn't he stop it?  His arms remained the same even though he concentrated, tried to make the black color go away.  He couldn't stop—he couldn't stop being afraid completely, it was too hard.  The forced fusion halted for a few seconds, but he couldn't seem to change himself back.  As he began to despair the fusion began spreading again.

            There was only one way he could think of to stop: he had to get the mask off.  He brought up the long black claws to the mask and tried to pry it off, getting fresh gales of laughter from the Masks.  Yuri knew why they were laughing, the mask was attached to his face.  It felt like ripping his mask off would tear off his skin as well.  He didn't care, he'd rip himself in half if he had to, he was getting out of this mask.  He wasn't going to be a monster.  He wasn't going to be like those loathsome creatures that had killed Mom.  He was getting out.

            He doubled over on the ground, writhing as he tried to wrench the Sword mask off.  With only his left hand, his best effort brought a sudden pain, so horrible he screamed as the Mask was ripped off.  Yuri rolled onto his back.  His face hurt so much the pain brought tears to his eyes.

            Something else was by him; their hands were brushing each other.  Yuri looked over and gasped.

            The boy wearing the ugly green mask turned to him.  The Mask had a surprised expression that perfectly mirrored Yuri's.  The other Masks had stopped laughing, dumbfounded by the paradox they saw: the boy was both in the Mask and out.

            Yuri was free.  He was free from the nightmare.  Realizing this, he scrambled to his feet, terrified of what would happen if another Mask took him.  He had to get out now, but the other boy, in a voice identical to his, was pleading, "Help me."

            Was it really him?

            "Please, help me!"

            No, it might be a trap.  And even if it wasn't, if he stayed, the Masks would catch him.  "I can't.  I can't."  He shook his head, slowly backing away.  He'd barely gotten out himself, he couldn't help anyone else.

            "You have to!" the boy yelled.  But instead of helping him, Yuri turned and ran. He was too scared to do anything else.  He ran, leaving his other half with the Masks.  His soul was still aching, scarred from the pain of being divided.

            "Daddy?  Daddy," Anne called.  Her voice sounded very far away, but Yuri finally realized that she was trying to shake him out of his memory—had been for the last two minutes.

            "You've failed again," a cold voice said.  A hand reached up and ripped the Sword mask off of Yuri's face, making him wince in pain.  He opened his eyes and then stared at the person in front of him.

            "Daddy, who are they?" Anne asked.

            There were two of them, one with his arms folded against his chest and the other looking up at Yuri with curious round eyes.

            "I really hope I'm dreaming," he muttered.

            The man opposite him scowled, his almond brown eyes dark.  "No, you idiot, we're not dreaming."  He let the mask go, allowing it to float up to join the other Masks.

            We.  Yuri stared at the younger man, who looked like a twenty-ish version of himself.  Then he looked at the other one, a small boy with dark brown hair and Japanese and Russian features in his face.

            Finally he faced the Masks.  "Whatever kind of trick this is, you make it right before I rip you all to pieces," he said.  Deal or no deal, they were just trying to piss him off now.

            "It's not a trick," Sword Mask laughed.

            "Don't you remember?"

            "_The first trial stands as your judgment._"

            Yuri rubbed his forehead, confused.  "You said I failed last night?"

            "That wasn't your first trial."  Gold Mask laughed.  "Your first trial, Harmonixer.  The one you just retook."

            "Oh."  Why hadn't he remembered before?  "I didn't get a judgment then."

            "They didn't say our judgment," the young man interrupted, "But we were split in half, thanks to that coward."

            "It wasn't my fault," the dark-haired boy protested.  "What was I supposed to do?"

            Anne was looking back and forth between the boy and the man.  They both looked strangely like her father, but they seemed completely different from him.  "What's going on?"

            The man laughed at her confusion.  "Your father has once again screwed everything up.  I'd say at this rate you're as good as damned."

            "Fox Face, you shut up!" Yuri yelled, knowing well who the older look-alike was.  He glanced at the younger one and then back to the Masks.  "What's he?"

            "Another part of yourself," Grail Mask responded.

            He bit his lip.  "I know I'm going to hate this answer, but why are there **three** of me?"  Yuri gestured at the youngest, the nine-year-old.  "Before there were two."

            "Are you sure?" Sword Mask asked, unable to hide his glee.

            "Well, I'm pretty sure, I just went through that trial again…but…"

            "You don't remember the first one, do you?"  The mask was cackling now.

            Yuri looked down at his daughter, who was watching him closely.  She still clung to him with her hands.  "No," he admitted.

            "Do you remember what happened before you took it?"

            "No."

            "Or after?"

            His head was starting to hurt.  He held his head in his hands.  "Daddy?"

            "Anne, I think you need to go now," Yuri said quietly.  He was aware now he had done something wrong, and he needed to figure out just how badly he'd messed things up.  No point in scaring Anne. Or scaring her anymore than she already had been.  "You go back to sleep."

            "But—"

            "Go to sleep," he said firmly.  "Don't worry.  I'm not going to take another Trial tonight.  Nothing's going to happen, we're just going to talk."

            "O-okay," the girl said uncertainly.  She took one last look around the room and left.  Yuri followed her with his eyes until she reached the entrance and passed through the gates.  Then the harmonixer turned to the Masks and his other selves.

            "What's going on here?" he said simply.  Fox Face scoffed.

            "Oh, come on!  Are you that stupid?" he asked, shaking his head.  "Our first trial ended in us being split up.  They're saying that we'll always be broken."

            "But Alice—Alice helped us—"

            Fox Face only laughed.  Although he no longer had the fox mask, he certainly had the same attitude.  His eyes were rimmed with red, like Yuri's were when he got mad enough.

            Yuri was starting to get worried now.  Fox Face seemed to think that Alice hadn't done anything.  And it was starting to look that way to him too, or else why **would** they be separate again?  Desperate for someone to back him up, he turned to the child.  "Didn't Alice help us become one again?"

            The small boy nodded, though he said nothing.

            "She made it so we could act as one," Fox Face corrected.  "Actually being one would be impossible for us.  Because of **him**," he ended, glaring at the child.

            "It's not my fault!" the boy protested.  "What was I supposed to do?"

            "You should've helped me when I asked you to!" Fox Face snarled at him.  His hands curled into fists and he was about to hit the child when Yuri grabbed his arm.

            "Leave him alone, that's not going to help."

            "You think anything can help us?" the younger man asked.  One eyebrow was raised to show his incredulity as he gazed at Yuri.

            "Alice might—"

            "Oh, I see.  You're so weak you have to depend on a **woman** for help."

            Yuri bristled at the insult and folded his arms.  "Why can't we just join again like we did last time?"

            "Why would I want to join with you two?" Fox Face said venomously.  "He abandoned me, and you—you're just like him."

            "Better than being a monster like you," the child replied.  This time Fox Face moved faster than Yuri, and the next moment the young boy was sprawled on the blue floor of the temple, crying in pain.

            "A monster?!  If I'm a monster, it's only because you were a coward!  You didn't even lift one finger to help me!"  Yuri held Fox Face back as he struggled to hit the child again.  The young man was screaming at the child, who flinched at every true word.  The Masks were snickering above and Yuri glared at them until he felt Fox Face's arms becoming thinner in his grasp.  Fused as Death Emperor, Fox Face escaped his hold and bore down on the boy.  Yuri almost fused until he realized he was sharing a bed with his wife, and settled for wrestling Death Emperor off the boy.  He was still stronger than Fox Face, he noted with relief.

            The boy held his hand over his chest.  Yuri forced his hand down and saw the blood flowing out of the wound.  Would it make his real body bleed if one part of him was bleeding in the Graveyard?  He hoped not, or Alice would definitely be panicking in the morning.  He concentrated enough to fuse only his hands into the claws of Raging Tiger and drew on the spirit's magic to heal the wound.  "You alright?"

            The boy nodded, his face pale from fear.

            "Why are you siding with him?"

            Yuri turned to Fox Face.  "I'm not siding with anyone.  I want both of you to join with me, and I can't do that if you kill him."

            "Forget it," Fox Face said angrily.  "I'm not joining with either of you."  He stormed out of the temple, the brown trenchcoat flapping as he left.

            Yuri sighed and then gazed up at the Masks.  They looked very pleased with themselves.  "This is what you wanted, wasn't it?" he asked.  They all chuckled in their various ways, answer enough.

            This must have been their plan.  They went through both versions of the trial, enough to stir up Fox Face and the boy, leaving…him…

            What was he?  He didn't remember anything about the first trial, so he couldn't have come from that.  What did he come from?

            "You came from me," the boy said.  Yuri looked down at him, startled.  The boy was still covering his shirt with his hand, though the wound was gone.  "Alice wanted me to accept Fox Face, but I didn't want to."

            "So…since you were reluctant, we split?"  Yuri grabbed his head and moaned in frustration.  "God, why do I do this to myself?"

            The boy smiled, the corners of his lips barely turning up.  "I just didn't…know what to do.  So I left it all up to you.  Everything seemed alright, so I didn't mind…but then Anne had her Trial."  He hugged his knees, seeming insecure in the presence of the Masks.  "We failed her…just like we failed mom."

            "No we haven't," Yuri said.  "All I've got to do is pass a Trial.  For the love of…if you guys would just help me this might work out."

            "I can't.  It wouldn't work anyway."

            Yuri stared at his younger self with contempt.  If he'd ever been like this, he must have been pathetic.  "I can see why Fox Face hates you," he told him as he left the temple.  He saw Fox Face resting against the grave of Darkness but exited the Graveyard without saying anything to him.

**

**Author's Note:**  The original chapter was supposed to be about this trial and the two weeks after it.  Then I realized if I didn't split it up, I was going to procrastinate it forever.  So here is the first half, just the trial.  The next part, I'm not sure how long it will be.  Might be fifteen pages if I get really in-depth with the additional trials.

If anyone is confused about the split, it should become clear how they've been split up in the next chapter.  If you're **really** confused, well…just tell me and I'll try to clear it up.

**

**Reviewers:**

**MikoNoNyte:**  You're my only reviewer again!  ^^;;;  Oh boy…

Yep, the masks are plotting.  Let's see how the next two weeks go…^^

That's what "Bort" means?  So Urmnaf is his real name and Bort's…something?

Alice does not yet know that anything is going on with Yuri.  She thought he just had a nightmare, and he hasn't told her why he had the nightmare.  The trip away was because…I probably should have explained this a bit better (and I'll try to in the next chapter), but they wanted Anne and Isaiah to stay to make up with Locke, but they can't be away from their shop for that long.  So they left them at Blue Castle and went back to their shop.  Although you got to admit, minus two kids they have a lot more free time ^^.

Hm, I want to see what kind of payback you'll give me : )


	13. Tribulations

**Disclaimer:**  I own Isaiah, Anne and Locke.  No one else.

**

            Anne woke up the next morning, still feeling a bit afraid.  Two people had appeared during daddy's Trial that looked like her daddy, but they were different.  There was a big boy, a few years older than her, and a man.  She didn't like the man.  He was as mean to Daddy as the Masks were.  Why had Daddy been taking a Trial?  She didn't like that either.  There wasn't anything good about graveyards, much less that one.

            There was a knock on the door.  "Anne?  Time for breakfast," Margarete called.

            "I'm coming!"  Anne rolled out of bed and chose jeans and a green shirt to wear.  She walked out of her room, just as Locke was coming down the stairs.  She smiled at him, remembering her mom's advice to be nice to him.  "Good morning Locke."

            Locke gave her a dirty look before turning away, heading to breakfast.  Anne stuck her tongue out to his back.  Why did he have to be so rude?  She hadn't meant to hurt him…

            Breakfast was chocolate chip pancakes.  Anne took two for starters.  Isaiah was already at the table, his small legs swinging back and forth as his large blue eyes watched Locke.

            "Hi Locke."

            "Hello," the other boy muttered.  Margarete sighed.

            "You're lucky your father's a late sleeper.  Come on, at least give me a smile.  You're getting pancakes."  The result was a grimace.  "Come on.  Oh fine, here's your pancake."

            The children ate.  The pancakes were hot, and the chocolate was soft and gooey.  Anne was taking her third and Locke quickly followed.  Keith soon after stumbled into the room, yawning loudly.

            "I need something to wake me up."

            "Well, we've got tons of sugar, but these kids might just eat it all up," Margarete said as she served Isaiah another pancake.  She straightened up and grinned at her husband.  "Did you forget we have company?  Why are you walking around in those?"

            This of course made Anne and Isaiah look at their uncle Keith.  He was rubbing his eyes sleepily, wearing nothing but purple boxers.

            "Don't do this dear, it's too early."

            "It's eight."

            "It's too early."  He sat down at the table and rested his head on his arm.  Margarete served him two pancakes.

            "There you go, sugar fix."  When Keith didn't respond, she poked him in the head with the spatula.  "Keith?  I don't believe it."

            Anne leaned over and tapped him on the arm.  "Uncle Keith.  Don't you want your pancakes?"

            "Hold on, I'll wake him up."  Margarete knelt next to her husband and grinned.  She was about six inches from his ear when she yelled, "SOREH!"

            Keith jumped out of his chair by a fair foot and ended up on the floor.  "Where's the grenade?!"

            Margarete walked away laughing as the vampire realized there were no explosives in the kitchen.  The children giggled, even Locke.  Keith muttered crossly as he sat back on the chair and started eating.  The blue-eyed spy returned with her own dish, two pancakes topped with whipped cream and a strawberry.  "I knew that would wake you up."

            "That wasn't funny," Keith said, shoveling a piece into his mouth.  Margarete whacked him in the back of the head.

            "You're ruder than your brother when you're crabby."

            "Mmph."

            The blonde shook her head and then surveyed the table.  Isaiah was asking Anne a question, but the seven-year-old was looking at Keith.  Her brown eyes shifted to Margarete but then dropped down when she realized she was also being watched.

            "What is it?"

            "Um…I was wondering…if you and Uncle Keith have ever been to the Graveyard."

            She had even Locke's attention now.  "Now, we haven't.  Why, did you dream about it?"

            "Yeah…did Daddy ever tell you about Trials?"

            Margarete was completely baffled.  She glanced at her husband and he chose to answer the question.

            "We don't know that much about the Graveyard, but Yuri did tell us a harmonixer takes their Trial after the first fusion."

            "Do you know if the Trials can hurt people…?"

            "Hurt them how?"  When Anne didn't answer, Margarete became a little worried.  Anne's Trial had been over a month ago, but could it be affecting her now?  "Are you feeling alright?"

            The little girl quickly nodded.  "I'm fine.  I was just wondering."

            "Can we go to Bistritz today?" Isaiah asked.  "Please?"

            "Where do you want to go?" Keith asked.  His wife was still watching Anne, but she turned away when the young boy smiled.

            "I want to go to the store and see Nina!  Wouldn't that be fun?"  Isaiah looked around the table for support.

            "Yeah, let's go see Nina and Michelle!"

            "I don't want to."

            The oldest Valentine glanced at the excited Hyuga children, then at his own sullen son.  "We're going, so you have to come too," Keith said.  The child frowned, the combination of his glittering blue eyes and small pout evidence of his mother.  "Don't argue with me, Locke."

            Locke instead stormed from the kitchen the way only a six-year-old-going-on-seven could: noisily but with his head held high.  Margarete chuckled.

            "Don't encourage him."

            "I'm not.  It's just too funny."

            Keith's head sunk down again in his exasperation.

**

            "Oh dear, it's not that late, is it?"

            Yuri opened one unfocused eye and followed Alice.  She was panicking as she changed, stuffing her hair into some semblance of a ponytail.  Someone was pounding on the door.  "Whasit?"

            "We've got a customer!"

            "Whosit?"

            "I don't know.  Oh, why did I sleep in!  It wasn't that late--come on Yuri, you'd better wake up too."  When his eyelids slid down, she leaned down and shook his shoulder.  In response his arm wrapped around her waist. "Yuri..."

            "Honey..."  His almond eyes were slits of brown and amber as he pulled her in, lower to the bed.

            "We have a customer."

            "Just a kiss."  She obliged him with a kiss on the cheek before pulling away.  "That wasn't a kiss, that was a peck."

            "If I let you determine when it was a kiss it'd be an hour long affair," she said as she walked downstairs.  "Coming!"

            "But you'd like it," Yuri murmured.  The curtains were open and the light was pouring in.  It felt very warm.  The bed still had Alice's heat and scent trapped in the blankets.  He could sleep here all day.  Except Alice was shaking him.

            "Come on, I've given you fifteen minutes.  Now up, sleepyhead."

            "Customer's gone?"

            "Yes."

            "Five more minutes."

            He heard Alice sigh in exasperation.  "Alright, but then you're getting up."  She started to pull away again, but this time Yuri moved faster, pulling her onto the bed and next to him.

            "With you."  He rubbed his cheek against her hair, feeling her relax.  She liked this too.  Eight years of marriage had made her body familiar to Yuri.  His hand roamed up and down freely, lingering over the ticklish thighs.  He frowned as he realized she was wearing a longer skirt.  "Why'd you have to get changed?"

            "There was a customer.  I had to look somewhat decent."

            "Should've ignored him."  The familiarity was a comfort.  This was how Alice would always be, warm and reassuring.  Was it weak to have to depend on a woman?  Screw Fox Face.  He was just jealous.  But would Alice be mad at him for messing up again?  What if she had to come to the Graveyard again?  She didn't like the Graveyard.  It was too dead and cold.  Cold with nothingness.  His arms tightened around Alice's body.  "You're so warm," he whispered.

            Alice heard a small tremor in his voice.  He was holding her a little too tight.  It was almost uncomfortable.  "Are you alright?" she asked.  "Did you have a nightmare?"

            "I just don't feel well.  Maybe I'm getting sick."

            "Oh no," she murmured.  "Would a kiss make you feel better?"

            "Yes.  But it has to be a real kiss."

            She touched her lips to his and felt his weight shift off the bed and over her.  His right elbow came down on the bed as he trapped her between his arms.  "Yuri," she breathed, a bit annoyed.  They were already an hour behind in opening shop.  Yuri was still as irresponsible as he had been nine years ago, when they'd first met and his initial reaction had been to hit on her.

            "Sh.  Another kiss?  Or two, or three, or four?"  With each request he planted a kiss on her neck, steadily moving downwards.  He paused at the dress's collar and fingered the first button.  "An hour?"

            "What happened to five minutes?"

            "Please?"

            Alice smiled.  Yuri certainly was in an amorous mood.  She didn't know how anyone could be after a nightmare--he certainly was not ill--but it would be a nice way to spend the morning.  Might as well enjoy herself.  "An hour.  But if a customer comes, we stop then."

            "They wouldn't dare."

**

            Anne was laughing, happy at the prospect of seeing Nina and Michelle.  At least, she was until she opened the door to the shop.  To her horror, the brunette teenager was leaning on the counter, lips locked with a sandy-haired boy.

            "Eww!"

            Nina quickly broke away from the boy on hearing Anne.  The younger girl looked disgusted.

            "Nina, now you have boy cooties!"

            "Well, um…what are you doing here?" she asked, flustered.  She was blushing as she looked from Anne to the curious Isaiah to a smiling Margarete and frowning Keith.

            "I take it Michelle's out," Margarete said.  It was clear from Keith's expression that he was not approving.

            "Um…"  The boy scratched the back of his had awkwardly.  "I guess I better go now…"

            Nina sighed.  "I guess."  The brown-eyed boy leaned across the counter once more and gave her a light peck on the cheek before walking out.  "Are you here to buy something?"

            "Was he?"

            The girl turned a bright red at Margarete's question.  "T-that's none of your business!"

            "So no."

            "You're not going to tell my mother, are you?"

            "No, we won't."  Margarete looked down at Anne.  "Will you?"

            Anne shook her head.  "I'm really good at keeping secrets," she said.  "So don't worry!"

            Nina laughed.  "Thanks.  Mom doesn't really like him, but he's nice."  She noticed Locke, who was sulking by his mother.  "What's wrong, Locke?"

            "We made him come," Margarete said lightly.  "Come on, stop being such a grouch."

            Her son reluctantly unfolded his arms.  "This isn't any fun."

            "Then why don't we play a game?" Nina suggested.  "You want to play…um…hide-and-go-seek?"

            "Okay," Locke said.  Keith smiled, happier now that his son was being somewhat civil.  By the end of the afternoon, perhaps he would be friends with Anne and Isaiah again.

            "I'll play with them if you watch the shop for a little while," Nina said to Margarete and Keith.  This was agreeable with the adults; after all, how hard could keeping a shop be?

**

            Now that the children were gone, Alice faced the daunting task of repainting the store.

            "We stopped for this?" Yuri complained, looking at the paint cans with disdain.

            Alice sighed.  The daunting part would actually be getting Yuri to agree to repaint the store.  This way she would be free to clean.  "I did what you wanted to do, so would you please do this for me?"

            "But you enjoyed what I wanted to do."

            "There's a time for work and a time for play.  You had your time to play, now work."

            Yuri grumbled some more.  He glanced in the can and went off again.  "Blue?  We always paint the store blue!"

            "Blue's a very nice color," Alice said.  Especially this blue; it was a light, almost faded blue.  "Besides, what color would you choose?"

            "I want to do a mural."

            "A mural?" Alice echoed, surprised.  This would be interesting.

            "Yeah.  With the Seraphic Radiance and Amon duking it out, and…"  He noticed his wife's glare.  "What are you looking at me like that for?"

            "I am not going to let you deface our house with monsters!"  Alice pointed at the can of point and declared, "The store stays blue.  Now would you please paint the store so I could clean?"

            Yuri pouted before taking the paintbrush and can outside.  Alice shook her head.  As soon as the children were gone, Yuri's penchant for the flamboyant and impractical returned.  Of all things, a mural—and he probably would have spent the time needed to turn their home into a nightmare.

            As she soaked the rag in soapy water, Alice glanced at Yuri.  He was standing just outside the large window, deftly prying open the can.  He still hadn't told her about his nightmare.  Perhaps he'd forgotten all about it.  She was probably worrying too much.  It was just that, ever since Anne's Trial, she had been worried about both of them.  The power of fusion was more complex than she had originally thought.  A double-edged sword indeed.

            Alice realized with a start that the rag was dripping over her skirt and quickly began scrubbing the counters.  If she had stared at Yuri any longer he would have come back in to try and persuade her of a second hour in bed.  One of them needed to remember to use their time and resources wisely, as tempting as the alternatives were.  Alice shook her head, though she was smiling.

**

            Isaiah was counting loudly as he faced the store wall.  "One…two…"

            "Alright, time to hide," Nina said.  Isaiah was only five, so she figured she should choose an easy spot.  She hid behind a barrel.

            Anne wasn't sure where to go.  She started towards the church. But she had already hidden there once, when Nina had been it.  The small girl turned back, scanning the entire village.

            "Twenty-eight, twenty-nine…um…"  There was a long pause as Isaiah thought hard.  "Thirty…"

            There was a minute and a half left to hide, unless Isaiah lost count.  Anne looked around and then saw the East gate swing open.

            "Forty…"

            That was odd.  There was a wind, but it was nowhere near strong enough to push open the gate.  The forest gate creaked a little more, very slowly—it was almost like someone was pushing it open.  Anne's brown eyes widened and she dashed towards the now-closing gate.  Her hands pushed against the bars, but the gate held.

            "Locke," she whispered, "Locke, what are you doing?  We can't hide in the woods."

            "I'm going home," Locke's voice responded.

            "You can't, you'll get in trouble!"

            "I don't care," he said stubbornly.

            Anne bit her lip as her hold on the bars tightened.  Why did Locke have to be like this?  Couldn't he even try to be friends?  "If you go, I'll—I'll—"

            "You'll tattle?"

            "No, I'll…"  She looked for the word her father had used once after losing his temper.  "I'll kick your ass."  Her mother would have hated it, but she had to show Locke she was serious.

            Locke laughed.  "If you can catch me.  You can't even see me!"  The gates were suddenly pushed back at her as new footprints appeared in the forest soil.

            Anne followed as fast as she could, not bothering to close the gate behind her.  "Don't be such an idiot!" she yelled at the invisible boy.  "Ooh…Locke, you're really making me mad!"

            The sounds of boots pounding on the ground continued, only fading as Locke continued running into the forest.  Anne pursued him.  She had given him fair warning.  Now it was time to knock him down a few pegs.

            "One-fifteen, one-sixteen, one-seventeen, one-eighteen, one-nineteen, one-twenty!  Ready or not, here I come!"  Isaiah turned away from the store wall and looked around.  It took him three minutes to find Nina.  "You're it now!" he said happily.

            "Yep," Nina agreed.  "But first you have to find Anne and Locke."  _Shouldn't be too hard_, Nina thought, _I heard Anne's voice coming from over there…_  Nina looked towards the East gate and saw it swinging back and forth.  She gasped, realizing what had happened.  "Oh, my god.  She went in the forest.  Locke!" she yelled.  They needed to at least know where the other child was.  "Where are you?  Come on out, the game's over!"

            There was silence for a moment.  "Did he go in the forest too?" Isaiah asked, looking at the large steel gate.

            "Locke, come on out, you've won!" Nina continued.  When that failed to bring the boy out she realized Isaiah was right.  They were both in the forest.  "Okay, Isaiah, you go tell Keith and Margarete what happened, I'll go after them!"

            "Locke!"  Anne continued to run, breathing hard as she tried to keep up.  It was hard keeping track of an invisible boy, though his footprints helped a lot, and the thrashing bushes.  Occasionally she would have to pause and listen, or stop and look around, and then she'd have to run even faster to catch up.

            There was a sharp crack of wood as she burst into another clearing.  This was where they'd walked earlier.  Dozens of boot prints trampled the grass.  She couldn't tell which was Locke's.

            She groaned, knowing she might have lost Locke.  She listened hard for any noises, but there was nothing.

            "Eenie Meenie Minie Mo," she said, spinning slowly around.  "Catch a tiger by the toe.  If he hollers, let him go.  Eenie Meenie Mine…"  Her finger had come to rest on a bush with blackberries, but the pine tree two meters away from it suddenly caught her eye.  "Mo," she said, shrugging.  One random choice was as good as another.

            She passed on the tree's right and continued deeper into the woods.  After two minutes of running, though, she was ready to give up.  She couldn't see Locke anywhere.  He must have gone another way, and by now he was long gone.  The small girl sighed and turned back.  She only took two steps before she heard a moan of pain.  Anne whirled around, searching for the source.

            Locke had stumbled over a log, hidden by it from view.  As Anne got closer, she could see his ankle was twisted.  It didn't look like he could stand.  He kept trying to, but even moving it seemed painful.  The boy's face was paler than usual.

            Anne bit her lip worriedly.  Injuries were usually no problem, but her mother wasn't around, and neither of Locke's parents were healers.  And Locke could only heal himself with blood—but she sure wasn't going to let him bite her.  Then she remembered her newest fusion and smiled.  Heaven's Fiend should be able to heal him.

            "Go ahead and laugh," Locke said sullenly, misreading her expression.

            "No, I think I have an idea!" Anne said.  If she healed Locke with her fusion, he'd see she wasn't so bad…and then maybe he'd be friends with her again!  "Just hold on for a minute," she told him, and closed her eyes.

            The young vampire's eyes widened as the brunette was replaced by a white monster.  "W-wait, Anne…" he whispered.  Not this again…

**

            Alice cut open a loaf of French bread and filled it was ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomato.  She then divided it in two—one piece for her and a piece nearly twice as large for Yuri.  This piece she carried outside.

            "Lunchtime!" Alice called to her husband as she pushed open the door.  It was a late lunch, in fact—she had lost track of time.  To her surprise, she found Yuri on the side of the house, the paintbrush dripping blue on the grass as he held it to the wall.  And continued holding it there.  He seemed fascinated by the small streak of paint on the wall.  "Yuri?"

            Her husband did not respond.  His lips were curled slightly in a frown.  Curiously, Alice joined him and looked where he was gazing.  Light blue paint was drying over lighter blue paint.

            "You can't be this bored," Alice said, rolling her eyes.  "Come on, stop joking.  You want your sandwich?"  Yuri still didn't say anything and she poked him lightly.  "Yuri."

            Finally, out of a curious thought, she cast Wish.  Since he was not afflicted by anything, it didn't do anything, but no Dark class could ignore a current of Light magic passing through their body.  Yuri started, flicking blue paint on himself.  He swore and dropped the paintbrush.

            "Are you alright?" Alice asked.  Maybe he really was ill, standing in a trance like that…

            "Yeah, just got distracted."

            "Distracted?"

            "Remind me to ground Anne," he mumbled.

            "Why?"

            He was silent as he felt a sharp stab of dismay.  Anne had realized that Locke was just as afraid of one fusion as another.  Through Anne's eyes Yuri could see Locke struggling to get to his feet, to get away from Heaven's Fiend.  When the boy realized it was futile, he changed into a bat.

            "Anne and Locke went back in the forest."

            "How do you know?" Alice asked.

            "Anne's fused with Heaven's Fiend."

            "So?"

            Yuri shook his head.  "I don't know.  I can just see what she's doing when she's fused."

            "Oh."  Alice was puzzled about how this was possible, but at least Yuri was not ill.  "They're not in trouble, are they?"

            "Locke has a sprained ankle—"  His face broke into a wide grin.  "She got him."  The bat was captured in the fusion's slender white fingers.  It squeaked loudly, trying to get free.  "Doesn't he know she's trying to help him?"

            Alice was trying to follow along with Yuri's disjointed narrative.  Locke was injured, Anne was trying to help him and she was fused.  And she had him.  That last part didn't make any sense.  "Are they safe?"

            "The wolves are only out at night, right?"

            "Well…I suppose."  It wasn't something she'd like to risk two lives on.  If they accidentally woke one up…oh, she didn't like this at all.

            Locke dropped his bat form, making him much too heavy for Anne's grasp.  He fell to the ground with an 'oomph' and Anne quickly grabbed his uninjured foot before he could try to move.  The sensitive fingers could feel the quickened rush of blood, even in the ankle.  He was afraid.

            Anne cast the healing spell and then quickly let him go.  His wide blue eyes were staring up at her as he cautiously stood.  The vampire leaned on his previously injured ankle, testing it.  Anne continued to watch him, too nervous to do anything else.  Locke looked down at his ankle, then up at Anne, as if he couldn't believe she had really healed it.  Finally he smiled, a brilliant grin that would be terrifying to those unaccustomed to vampires.  "That's awesome!"

            Relieved, Anne released the fusion, ending the vision.  Yuri grinned.  "Yeah, they're fine Alice.  And I think they're going to get along now."  It was then he noticed the large sandwich Alice was holding.  "Hey, lunch!"

            "Yes, lunch," she said, almost laughing.  "I was wondering when you'd notice."

            "Great, I'm starving—"

            "Ah!" she interrupted.  She held the sandwich just outside his reach.  "Your hands are covered with paint, Yuri."

            The Harmonixer raised an eyebrow as he found she was right.  His hands were half blue.  Grumbling about stupid paint and brushes, he went inside to wash up.

**

            Anne released Heaven's Fiend.  She stumbled a bit as she dropped to the ground, but nothing could wipe off her smile.  "So you liked it?"

            Locke nodded.  "Yeah.  Um…"  He turned red and looked at the fallen leaves as he realized he had to show his gratitude.  "Thanks," he mumbled.

            "Anything else…?"

            The six-year-old was even redder now.  "And…I'm sorry.  There."

            Anne giggled.  "Apology accepted."

            "Anne!  Locke!"

            Both children jumped at the sound of Nina's voice.  "Oh, shit," Locke said.  It was a word he'd picked up from Leon, and it worked very well at upsetting his father, which made it a favorite of his.

            "We're going to be in big trouble," Anne said.

**

            A half-hour later, they were back at the East gate, led by Nina.  "I found them," she said to Keith and Margarete.

            "Thank you," Keith said.  His tone was mostly calm, but anyone who knew him well could tell that he was very mad.  "I think you should go back to the store now, Nina."

            "Uh, alright," the teenager agreed.  She glanced at the smaller children, whose eyes were begging her not to go.  She could protect them from the vampire's wrath.  "Listen, I'll see you guys around, okay?"  With that, she walked off towards the store.

            "Uh oh."

            "Now," Keith began.  His voice was still very calm.  It was almost too calm, which was more scary for the children than yelling.  "You already know what you did wrong, don't you?"

            "We went in the forest," Anne said.

            "It wasn't her fault," Locke volunteered.  "I went in first, she was trying to stop me."  He felt like quailing under his father's glare.  Keith tapped his fingers on his arm, deciding on an appropriate course of action.

            "Very well.  My apologies, Anne, for thinking you were at fault.  I will deal with you," he said to his son, "when we get back home."

            Locke gulped and cast his eyes at Margarete.  "Don't give me the puppy dog eyes," Margarete said, "we've told you a thousand times not to go in there.  And I know you'll get a fair punishment."

            The youngest Valentine grimaced.

**

            Locke's punishment turned out to be two sound spankings, delivered by Keith, and no dinner for the night.  Instead he was to stay in his room and write five hundred words on why he was not supposed to go in the forest.  He could come out when the writing was done.

            Isaiah and Anne were both a bit stunned when they heard the sentence delivered.  "I'm sure glad he's not our dad," Anne whispered.  Isaiah nodded in agreement.  Locke walked up the stairs to his room with a tomato red bottom, but his head held high.

            "He's definitely taking after you," Keith commented to Margarete.

            The spy laughed quietly.  "He better not, or he's going to give you hell when he's a teenager."

**

            Later that night, Anne pulled her blankets over herself as she tried to get some sleep.  She quickly fell asleep, exhausted from the events of the day.  Her eyes opened as she found herself in the Graveyard, and then widened as she heard a man screaming.  Her father was screaming.

            "Daddy?!" she called.  She stood hastily and ran to the temple, where he'd been last night.  Where she knew he must be.  But the doors were shut.  She pushed on them but they refused to budge.  "Daddy!"

            The screams were dying down.  They were moans now.  Her father was hurt, the Masks were hurting him.  "Daddy!" she called again.

            "Hmph.  So you're as much as a crybaby as he is."

            Anne froze.  It sounded like her father's voice, but it couldn't be…she turned around and saw the man from the previous night.  He smirked at her as he stood in a brown trenchcoat, his eyes a glittering red.  "What—what are they doing to daddy?"

            "They're giving him a Trial," Fox Face said simply.  Anne backed up against the large temple doors as he adopted a fighting stance, the same as the one her father used.  "Should I give you a Trial of your own?"

**

**Author's Note:**  Originally the entire two weeks were planned to be one chapter, but I started procrastinating again…and for some reason, I can never tell how long a scene's going to take until I actually start writing it.  Hopefully the two weeks will be covered completely in the next chapter…it will mostly be some of the Trials Yuri goes through and how they affect him.

(I really need to stop procrastinating this.)

I've been wondering, how do people see Locke?  Especially after this chapter?  Is he disliked a lot, liked or simply neutral?

I almost forgot—'soreh' is an approximation of what Margarete says when she does her special abilities.

**

**Reviewers:**

**Jeteagle:**  Thank you!  Next chapter should reveal Anne's class.  Bring back the muse?  I think Kim's borrowing Yuri right now for a fanfic…^_^

**MikoNoNyte:**  Well, now I do.

Oh, my grammar's horrendous.  For some reason I notice the errors when I'm writing, but not when I'm typing.  Probably because I trust Word to pick them up.  But it didn't.

I don't think I've had the masks lie yet…and I don't remember them ever lying in the game.  Oh wait.  Fox Face, of course.  Although did they ever state, out right, that Fox Face was his father?

His heart was replaced with something else…well, if it has a skull for a face, I don't think it needs a heart.  I don't know.  I think the other class fusions have hearts, but what need does the Darkness class have of them?

There's no practical use for a partial fusion in the game.  Maybe if there had been a benefit, it might have been put in…but there isn't in any of the game's situations.  Oh well.

Well, he does know what he's doing…he just doesn't know the consequences until it's too late.  And someone's definitely going to be damned here (don't spoil anything!  : p ).

**Darkness featurin' Kitty:**  Ah!  I'm sorry I didn't answer your review last chapter.  I think you might have reviewed after I updated; or maybe it just wasn't showing yet.  ^^;;

I had Locke give in much earlier than I had planned, simply because I started thinking it was kind of unrealistic for a six-year-old to hold a grudge for two whole weeks.


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